India Must Develop Home-Grown Cybersecurity Technology
India cannot rely on external solutions for cybersecurity and must have fully home-grown technology in this space, according to a senior government official. Speaking after releasing a whitepaper on Quantum Cyber Readiness by CERT-In and cybersecurity firm SISA, Electronics and IT Secretary S Krishnan expressed concern over the global race to develop quantum computers, which are perceived as capable of breaking any encryption that exists at present.
The Need for Cybersecurity Awareness
Krishnan emphasized the need for greater cybersecurity awareness and the development of capacity in the country to address this issue. He noted that cybersecurity is not like any other technology space where solutions from other places can be used, and that India must have fully homegrown solutions, both hardware and software.
The Quantum Threat
According to the whitepaper on Quantum Cyber Readiness, any data requiring protection beyond 2030 should be considered at immediate risk. Nation-states and sophisticated threat actors are likely already harvesting and storing encrypted data, anticipating future quantum decryption capabilities. An Executive Order issued by the US on January 16, 2025, formally ordered governmental departments to start post-quantum cryptography transitions within specified timeframes.
The Importance of Post-Quantum Cryptography
Krishnan stressed the need for cryptographic standards that are up to the mark for data protection, even before the use of quantum computers becomes widespread. He noted that everyone who uses computers needs to be aware of the quantum threat and have a cryptographic tool that can protect their communication, data, and other information from a post-quantum or quantum world threat.
India’s National Quantum Mission
In March, the government approved the National Quantum Mission (NQM) with an outlay of around Rs 6,000 crore, spread over 8 years. Krishnan said that out of around Rs 1,000 crore allocated for various projects on quantum technology, around Rs 513 crore has already been allocated.
The Quantum Threat Clock
The report said that organizations must understand that the quantum threat clock started ticking the moment sensitive data was first transmitted or stored using quantum-vulnerable encryption. The threat is immediate for any information that must remain confidential beyond the estimated arrival of cryptographically relevant quantum computers.
Published On Jul 12, 2025 at 09:17 AM IST
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[Image: Quantum Cyber Readiness Whitepaper] [Image: India’s National Quantum Mission] [Image: Quantum Threat Clock]Source Link
