Lt Gen. Satish Dua

Indians are the second largest user of cyberspace with 400 million internet users and one billion mobile users. While it gives us a great advantage, it also exposes us to great vulnerabilities and threats. Today’s cyberspace has become increasingly complex and requires an innovative mindset with comprehensive and holistic solutions.

Technological advancements, digital economies and e-governance with 24x7 movements are spinning our nation into the future. This visualised cyberspace of future is, however, not free from frictions of advanced threats and vulnerabilities. A new form and dimension of cyber warfare emerge from the on-going technological revolutions, posing new challenges to the nation’s digital infrastructure. The fifth dimension targets our preparedness, responsiveness, intelligence and resolves in strengthening our digital progress. The new dimension also brings the need of changing defence strategies to make them more aligned to combating catastrophic effects of cyber warfare on a nation’s digital infrastructure. If we recognise this as a threat, then we must build the capability to safeguard our resources. For this, and for reacting, in which various instruments of power could be employed, the involvement of military may be prime.

Technologies like Artificial Intelligence, Ro