Uttar Pradesh to set up ₹104 crore cyber security centre

The cyber security centre: what happened?

A single ransomware attack can freeze a hospital or a land records office for days. A security operations centre is like a control room that watches for such attacks all the time.

• The Uttar Pradesh Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, approved the Uttar Pradesh Cyber Security Operations Centre (UP-CSOC) at an estimated cost of ₹104.28 crore.
• C3iHub, the cyber security innovation hub at IIT Kanpur, will set it up and operate it for an initial three years.
• It will monitor the State data centre, the UP State Wide Area Network (UPSWAN), government applications and other key systems.
• It will use tools such as artificial intelligence, Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) and Network Detection and Response (NDR).
• Independent third-party security audits are planned every quarter, along with cyber drills and training.

How does India protect its digital systems?

A Security Operations Centre (SOC) is a team and a set of tools that watch networks round the clock, spot suspicious activity and respond to attacks like data theft and ransomware.

The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), set up under Section 70B of the IT Act, 2000, is the national agency for responding to cyber incidents.

The National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIIPC), under Section 70, protects systems like power grids, banks and telecom.

C3iHub is one of the Technology Innovation Hubs set up under the National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems of the Department of Science and Technology. It has already run SOCs for the National Highways Authority of India and SAIL’s Bhilai Steel Plant.

Who protects India’s cyber space?

Which laws and Articles apply?

• Information Technology Act, 2000: Sections 70, 70B and 43.
• National Cyber Security Policy, 2013.
• Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023: duty to protect personal data.
• CERT-In directions (2022): report cyber incidents within six hours.

Why does the cyber security centre matter?

What are the problems with the cyber security centre?

• Many government offices use old software that is easy to attack.
• There are too few trained cyber security staff.
• Running it through an outside body for three years needs a plan for later.
• Departments may not report attacks quickly.

What should be done next on the cyber security centre?

• Train State staff to take over and run the centre.
• Update old systems and patch them regularly.
• Make reporting of cyber incidents compulsory for all departments.
• Link the centre with CERT-In for shared threat alerts.

What can Prelims ask on the cyber security centre?

Prelims probability: Expect a question on cyber security bodies: CERT-In works under Section 70B of the IT Act, 2000; NCIIPC protects critical information infrastructure under Section 70.

• CERT-In: Section 70B, IT Act, 2000.
• NCIIPC: Section 70, IT Act; protects critical information infrastructure.
• National Cyber Security Policy: 2013.
• UP-CSOC: ₹104.28 crore; run by C3iHub, IIT Kanpur, for three years.
• SOC: round-the-clock monitoring and incident response.

How to write about the cyber security centre in Mains

Practice question (UP PCS Mains GS-VI, 8 marks, 125 words): Why do State governments need their own cyber security systems? Discuss with reference to Uttar Pradesh’s Cyber Security Operations Centre.

• Intro: ₹104.28 crore UP-CSOC by IIT Kanpur’s C3iHub.
• Rising digital services and cyber threats.
• National framework: CERT-In, NCIIPC, IT Act.
• Challenges: old systems, skills, reporting.
• Conclusion: build lasting State cyber capacity.