In a stark warning, Gujarat's top bureaucrat has described sophisticated cyberattacks as a form of "silent, borderless warfare" designed for long-term infiltration, identifying the industrially crucial state as a prime target for digital adversaries.
Gujarat on High Alert as a Prime Cyber Target
Speaking at the seventh session of Hacked 2.0 at the National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU) in Ahmedabad on Thursday, Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Das labeled Gujarat a "high-value target" for cybercriminals and state-sponsored hackers. He attributed this status to the state's concentration of vital assets, including major industrial corridors, busy ports, and significant energy hubs.
Das explained that unlike typical data breaches, an Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) incident can trigger a domino effect, crippling multiple departments, districts, and essential public services simultaneously. He stressed that relying solely on technological solutions is insufficient for safeguarding the state's digital frontiers.
A Three-Pillar Strategy for Cyber Defence
To counter these evolving digital dangers, the Chief Secretary detailed Gujarat's strategic framework, which rests on three core pillars:
- Anticipation: This involves proactive and continuous monitoring of networks to detect threats before they cause harm.
- Attribution: Focusing on forensic capabilities to accurately identify the source and actors behind an attack.
- Resilience: Building robust systems to ensure that critical public services can continue operating even during a severe cyber incident.
Das emphasized that institutional governance and human awareness are the ultimate determinants of cybersecurity, more so than any software or hardware.
India's Recent Battles in the Cyber Domain
Providing a national context, the senior official highlighted serious cyber threats India faced between 2021 and 2023. These included the discovery of reconnaissance malware within power grids, the massive breach at AIIMS Delhi in 2022 that disrupted healthcare services, and repeated attacks targeting the railways and transport systems.
He also revealed instances where advanced phishing campaigns and zero-day exploits successfully compromised government email and VPN networks. Such breaches granted unauthorized access to sensitive data and laid bare vulnerabilities in the nation's critical infrastructure.
Das pointed to recent events like the school evacuation scares in Ahmedabad, which were triggered by digital threats, as examples of how misuse of online platforms can create real-world chaos without any physical intrusion.
A Call to Action for the Next Generation of Cyber Guardians
Addressing the students of NFSU, Chief Secretary Das framed their education as a national imperative. "You are being trained at a time when the nation needs you the most," he stated. He told them that their future expertise would be crucial not just for post-incident investigations but also for shaping preventive frameworks, informing national policy, and strengthening India's overall cyber resilience.
He concluded with a vital admonition, urging the students to pair their technical competence with ethical discipline, a sound understanding of the law, and a deep sense of public duty.
