UNSC: India says cyber tools are used to target critical infra

India on Tuesday took aim at China and Pakistan at a UN debate on cyber security with Indian foreign secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla saying that cyber tools were being used to target critical infrastructure, introduce vulnerabilities and disrupt social harmony.

Speaking at the UN Security Council debate on “Maintenance of international peace and security: Cyber security” Shringla said that “terrorists have also used social media for planning and executing their terror attacks and wreaking havoc.”

In his remarks, Shringla noted the covid-19 pandemic had “accelerated and expanded the digitalization” of activities. The “dynamic and continuously evolving” feature of cyberspace, the borderless nature of cyberspace and anonymity of actors involved “have challenged the traditionally accepted concepts of sovereignty, jurisdiction and privacy,” he said.

In oblique criticism of China, Shringla said that cyber tools were being used to compromise state security by “attacking critical national infrastructure, including health and energy facilities, even disrupting social harmony through radicalisation.”

“Open societies have been particularly vulnerable to cyber-attacks and disinformation campaigns,” he said. The comments follow reports in the press about China releasing malware into India’s power grid that resulted in a massive power outage in Mumbai in October last year. A report in the New York Times in February had pointed to a cyber campaign by China at a time when tensions between New Delhi and Beijing were running high thanks to their military standoff on the border. India has not till now directly accused China for causing the outage.

In his remarks, Shringla also raised the issue of the compromise of “integrity and security of ICT products,” which he said formed the “building blocks of cyber space.’

“There are widespread concerns that state and non-state actors are introducing vulnerabilities and harmful hidden functions, including through backdoor channels, into ICT networks and products. Such nefarious acts undermine trust and confidence in the global ICT supply chain, compromise security and could become a flashpoint between States,” he said.

“It is in the interest of the international community to ensure that all actors abide by their international obligations and commitments and not indulge in practices that could have potentially disruptive effects on global supply chains and trade in ICT products,” he said amid concerns that Chinese companies that deal in sophisticated technology like 5G, could introduce malware or spyware into grids and high security systems causing their breakdown or result in them getting hacked. Several countries have excluded Chinese companies from supplying them with 5G technology – a case in point being Australia.

In his comments, Shringla also slammed the use of “cyberspace by terrorists around the world to broaden their appeal, spread virulent propaganda, incite hatred and violence, recruit youth and raise funds.”

“As a victim of terrorism, India has always underlined the need for Member States to address and tackle the implications of terrorist exploitation of the cyber domain more strategically,” he said.

To solve these challenges, Shringla sought a “collaborative rules based approach” as well as countries working towards ensuring openness, stability and security in cyber space. “Fostering equitable access to cyberspace and its benefits should also form an important component of this international co-operation,” he said.

Stating that India was committed to an “open, secure, free, accessible and stable cyberspace environment, which will become an engine for innovation, economic growth, sustainable development,” Shringla said that India had harnessed technology to achieve its Sustainable Development Goals and improving governance.

“As part of its covid-19 vaccination drive, one of the largest such drives in the world, India has developed Co-WIN – a scalable, inclusive and open technological platform. The Co-WIN platform can be customized and scaled up for health interventions across the globe. We are working on sharing this platform with partner countries,” he added.