NSCS takes charge of cybersecurity oversight in India

NEW DELHI: Government has made the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) the nodal agency for dealing with the growing threats to cyber security.

As per a notification issued late Friday evening, PM-led NSCS has been mandated “to provide overall coordination and strategic direction for cyber security” in addition to assisting the National Security Adviser, the principal adviser on national security matters to the PM and the council.

So far the job was the concern of the Cabinet Secretariat.

PM Narendra Modi oversees the NSCS with NSA Ajit Doval serving as its secretary. The NSCS acts as the top body for all internal and external security matters in India.

As per the notification, specific responsibilities have been assigned to the ministries of telecom, IT and home ministries to ensure better clarity.

While the telecom department will be responsible for telecom network security, the IT department will take care of cyber security, and the home ministry will deal with cybercrime.

The decision follows deliberations in the govt and experience of several countries which have mandated well-defined roles to different govt entities to eliminate ambiguities and duplication of efforts in the fight against the challenge of cyber attacks which have opened up a new realm of warfare.

“Now with this new allocation of business rules, there will be more clarity in dealing with different aspects and for better coordinated strategies. The NSA will have greater say in these matters,” said a source familiar with the reasoning behind the change .

As per the notification the telecom department will deal with “matters relating to telecom networks” in addition to the earlier task of policy, licencing and coordination matters relating to telegraphs, telephones, wireless, data, facsimile and telematic services and other like forms of communications.

Similarly, the electronics and IT has been assigned the business of matters relating to “cyber security as assigned in the IT Act” and “support other ministries and departments on cyber security”.

In the case of home ministry, an additional business allocation has been made to deal with “matters relating to cybercrime”.

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