China tried to hack Power Grid systems
Recently, China has attempted to hack “Power Grid Systems” thrice in Ladakh. A Trojan called Shadow Pad was used by hackers to hack “State Load Dispatch Centers” (SLDCs).
However, they did not succeed because of the security measures already in place for critical infrastructure (i.e., critical infrastructure) in India. It is reportedly believed that the Shadow Pad Trojan has been created by the Chinese government.
State Load Dispatch Centers: These are responsible for grid control and electric dispatch on real time basis.
Critical Infrastructures: It refers to the most important and essential physical and information technology facilities (or establishments/centres), networks, services and assets for the country. Any interference with these can have serious implications for health, defence, security, economic or social welfare or vital functioning of the government.
Measures taken to protect critical infrastructure in India:
Policy Measures: The National Cyber Security Policy was announced in the year 2013 to protect them. It aims to build a secure and resilient cyberspace for citizens, businesses and the government.
Institutional Measures:
- National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Center (NCIPC): It has been established to regulate and protect the Critical Information Infrastructure (CIIs) of the country.
- Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-IN): It is the national nodal agency for dealing with incidents related to computer security and attacks on them.
- National Cyber Security Coordinator (NCSC): Its function is to coordinate with different agencies at the national level for cyber security matters.
- Other Major Initiatives: The Central Electricity Authority has issued cyber security guidelines for all utilities in the power sector (i.e. Power Company or power station/establishment). In addition, firewalls and a special Computer Security Incident Response Team (CSIRT) are planned to thwart attempts to disrupt the electrical infrastructure.
Source – The Hindu
