Why in News:

• The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) has stressed the need for a national framework to thwart cyber attacks that have been on the rise in the country.

What the CDS opined

• While a National Cybersecurity Strategy is in the offing, the country is also in dire need of a data protection law, with cybercriminals increasingly weaponising data as a tool against national security in the post-pandemic era.
• With data gradually transcending into the open domain with numerous firms permitting employees to work from their homes amid the pandemic, sensitive information has become susceptible to security vulnerabilities. 
• The rise of digital payments has also increased complex cyber crimes.
• Cyber crimes have gone up by almost 500% in India during the global pandemic. 
• There is a need to consider the emerging threats from new technologies such as drones, ransomware, Internet of Things (IoT) devices and also the role of nation states in such cyber attacks. 

• To read about some of the steps taken by the government in the field of cyber security: https://officerspulse.com/cybercrimes/ 

 Reference:

1. https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/cybercrime-went-up-by-500-per-cent-during-pandemic-chief-of-defence-staff/article37457504.ece