With IT's spread, cyber attacks also expanding: Report

A new breed of hackers  has emerged, whose main aim is not necessarily financial gain but causing disruption

As information technology (IT) has led to new economic and social opportunities, it has also opened more avenues for cyber attackers to cause disruption and carry out criminal activities, says a joint report of business chamber Assocham and Price Waterhouse.

In India, from 2011 to 2014, there was  a rise of 300 per cent in cyber crime cases registered under the IT Act. The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) has also reported a surge in the number of incidents handled by it, with close to 50,000 security incidents in 2015, the report said.

Cyber attacks around the world are occurring at a greater frequency and intensity. Not only individuals but also businesses and governments are being targeted.

The profile and motivation of cyber attackers is changing. A new breed has emerged, whose main aim is not necessarily financial gain but causing disruption, to businesses in particular and the nation at large.

“Cyber terrorism is the new weapon used by terrorists across the globe to inflict psychological and physical damage on their targets, to achieve their political gain or create fear within opponents or the public,” says the report.

It points to this country's National Cyber Security Policy and the National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre. As for CERT-In, it has been operational since January 2004.

Photograph: Dado Ruvic/Reuters