CDS flags China's capability to launch disruptive cyber-attacks; details India's counters

Amidst the tense year-long situation between India and China, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat on April 7 said that the dragon is ahead of India when it comes to technology and can launch cyberattacks that can disrupt India on a large scale. Outlining the gap between India and China, General Bipin Rawat said the biggest gap between the two countries was in the cyber domain and it was being addressed in a serious manner.

In an address at the Vivekananda International Foundation, General Bipin Rawat in response to a question said that the "biggest differential" between India and China lies in the cyber domain, adding the neighbouring country has been able to invest a lot of funds on new technologies. 

"We know that China is capable of launching cyber attacks on us and that it can disrupt a large amount of our systems. What we are trying to do is to create a system which would ensure cyber defence," he said.

"National security today as a definition is well-big beyond conventional warfare. The fact remains, while the number of inter-state conflicts have decreased in the end of the cold war, other security concerns like civil war, terrorism, nuclear proliferation, environmental catastrophes, international migration, piracy or cyber-attacks have indeed been on the rise," added General Rawat. 

'India trying to create firewalls against cyber-attacks'

General Rawat said that India is in pursuit to create firewalls to deal with the cyber attacks and that the issue is being addressed in a "serious way". The CDS said each service has its own cyber agency to ensure that even if they come under cyber attack, the down time and the effect of the cyber attack does not last long.

“We should be able to overcome cyber-attacks and continue with our systems either through an alternative or preventive means through firewalls. So, while we are trying to create firewalls for cyber-attacks, yet we are quite sure they (China) will be able to break through the firewalls…But then what we are trying to do is how long will your system be down, and how will you be able to operate through that phase of cyber-attack you have been put through. That is one thing we are looking at and addressing in a serious manner,” he said.

Following the border row with China, India banned many Chinese apps including video app TikTok after reviewing responses from the companies on issues such as compliance and privacy. 

'Leadership displayed a political will and determination'- General Rawat

General Rawat said, " We have the economic and demographic capacity and a leadership that has displayed a political will and determination to uphold a vital national interest in the face of unprovoked assault on its security and dignity." This remark of General Bipin Rawat can be seen as an apparent reference to the border row with China in eastern Ladakh

General Bipin Rawat also said that there is an emergent need to develop 'a vision of the region' after PM Modi's alluded to the importance of neighbourhood in his address at the 69th session of the United Nations General Assembly by saying 'nation's destiny is linked to its neighbourhood'. General Rawat said, "We must remember the nation inherit neighbours, hence nations must adapt its policies and national vision accordingly." 

The bilateral relations between India and China were strained to a great degree after, in June 2020, Indian and Chinese troops engaged in a brawl that left twenty Indian soldiers martyred while causing an unspecified number of Chinese casualties. In February 2021, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh told Rajya Sabha that India and China have agreed to disengage from the Pangong Tso area in eastern Ladakh after maintaining communication with each other through military and diplomatic channels. 

(Image Credits: PTI)