QUESTION 26
GS3
10 marks
Cyber warfare is considered by some defence analysts to be a larger threat than even Al Qaeda or terrorism. What do you understand by cyber warfare? Outline cyber threats to which India is vulnerable and bring out the state of the country’s preparedness to deal with them.
WRITE IN
7 min
200 words
What the examiner wants
Explain cyber warfare, outline India's cyber vulnerabilities and assess its preparedness.
What; Outline; Bring outAnswer exactly what the question asks.
Demand-wise check
- 1Meaning: state or state-backed attacks on an adversary's networks and critical systems to disrupt, spy or coerce; cheap, deniable, no borders, hence seen as bigger than terrorism≈35 words
- 2India's vulnerabilities: power grid, nuclear plants, banking and payments, health data, telecom with imported equipment, defence networks, espionage by state-linked groups≈35 words
- 3Preparedness: CERT-In (2004), National Cyber Security Policy 2013, NCIIPC for critical infrastructure, Defence Cyber Agency (2019), National Cyber Security Coordinator≈35 words
- 4Gaps: shortage of skilled personnel, dependence on foreign hardware, no updated cyber security strategy, weak state-level capacity≈35 words
Open in about 30 words and close in about 30.
Answer plan
Definition and why it outranks terrorismGlobal examplesIndia's vulnerable sectors with incidentsInstitutionsGapsReforms
Where marks usually go
- Mixing cyber crime (fraud) with cyber warfare
- No Indian incidents to show vulnerability
Draw this
- Table: critical sector → threat → agency responsible
Value addition
- EventMalware was found on Kudankulam nuclear plant's administrative network (2019), confirmed by NPCIL.NPCIL, 2019
- PolicyNational Cyber Security Policy 2013 set a goal of 5 lakh cyber security professionals in five years.MeitY, 2013
Mapped topper copies
Reviewed public-source references related to this PYQ. Same-syllabus references are labelled separately.
- Shakti Dubey · AIR 1 · Page 50 ↗Same syllabus reference
Links open original public sources. MainsBuddy does not host these answer sheets.
Next: plan for one minute, write it in 7 minutes, then get it checked.