The tri-service agency has at least 1,000 personnel and will set up units across the country; meanwhile, the government is also looking to implement a new policy addressing key issues in cyberspace. Two years after its announcement, the Defence Cyber Agency is now operational under the purview of the Ministry of Defence as per a written reply by the Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt in the Lok Sabha on August 4, 2021. He was responding to a question by Bahujan Samaj Party MP Shyam Singh Yadav in the monsoon session of Parliament. Why it matters? The frequency of cyberattacks has risen exponentially in the last few years, especially during the pandemic. The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) reported a total of 6,07,220 cybersecurity incidents in the first half of 2021, according to MeitY. Cyberattacks are also becoming more sophisticated wherein victims incur acute financial losses. Cyberattacks against critical infrastructure can have severe national security implications if not prevented or investigated by government agencies. What is the Defence Cyber Agency? The Defence Cyber Agency was developed by the Indian government in collaboration with the armed forces, according to a report by the news portal Qrius. The report explains that the agency's aim is to combat growing threats of cyberattacks from countries like China and Pakistan. Here are a few more details about the agency: It is a tri-service agency with over 1,000 personnel from the three wings of the defence forces— the army, the navy, and the air force. The members…
