At times of heightened cyber security threats, India doesn’t have the capability to check the presence of malware of snooping virus in weapons systems procured from foreign countries.
Admitting this factor, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) chief Avinash Chander said here on Friday the country has no control on malware or snooping virus in systems bought from abroad and the country needs to have a basic policy in this regard while procuring complex weapon systems. He said it is difficult to check malware or virus as “nobody gives you the source code while selling the equipment and network becomes susceptible to hacking”.
listing it as the biggest challenge in the sphere of cyber security, Chander said the only solution at present is to protect the core of the system and build a cocoon around it. Highlighting this issue during a news conference during the ongoing Def Expo 2014, the DRDO chief said it is very difficult to assess in an integrated system whether there is malware because “we at first place we don’t know what is there. So that challenge will remain and we will have to see what can be done in such environment or what level of assessment can be done.”
He made these observations when asked whether India has a capability to check for malware or snooping devices in military systems acquired by it from abroad such as American C-17 and C-130J Super Hercules aircraft. Asked whether such a scenario makes India’s military equipment vulnerable to hacking, he said India’s critical systems have to be secured “even if you are interfacing with the not so secure systems.”
Chander then said the DRDO has launched a major programme to meet the threat of cyber attack by securing local area networks, mobile systems and the organisations is developing its own routers, operating systems and analysis systems. On other critical programmes, he said the fifth test of ballistic missile defence (BMD) will take place next month as the scientists are now in the process of freezing system configurations. He also said the dual seeker and infra red seeker of the BMD besides its capability to intercept an incoming missile in exo-atmosphere is also ready.
This year will also seek sea trial of Arihant nuclear-powered submarine, canisterisation of Agni-5 missile and 75th launch of Agni-I on February 18, he said adding the DRDO will also test fire Astra and BrahMos missiles from SU-30 fighter jet.