As the cybersecurity threat landscape in India becomes increasingly intricate with the rise of AI, industry leaders are urging the government to modernize current frameworks and policies to enhance the nation’s cyber resilience.
“I believe we need a dedicated ministry for cybersecurity and cyber defense instead of having it under another ministry. With the digitization of more areas in India, cybersecurity must be the government’s top priority for its citizens and the country’s economic stability. This should be the initial step,” stated Akhilesh Tuteja, global head of cybersecurity at KPMG India, during a panel discussion hosted by Microsoft India on 'Cybersecurity in the Age of AI'.
The virtual event, held on October 22, also featured contributions from Satvinder Madhok, global head of cybersecurity operations at Wipro, and Bithal Bhardwaj, group CISO of GMR Group, with moderation by Irina Ghose, managing director of Microsoft India and South Asia.
The Role of AI in CybersecurityWhile the emergence of generative AI has been exploited by malicious actors, tech giants like Microsoft are increasingly using AI to bolster security in their products and for their clients.
Discussing AI's impact on Microsoft’s cybersecurity strategy, Irina Ghose remarked, “We launched Copilot for Security in 2023. It is an AI-driven, cross-stack solution that enables defenders to enhance their skills and transition from a reactive to a proactive security posture.”
She further stated that Microsoft’s Copilot for Security has enabled users to respond to cybersecurity incidents 26% faster and with 35% more accuracy than before. “Currently, we collect about 78 trillion security signals daily, compared to just 8 trillion signals in 2021, to monitor threats. These signals are crucial for our protection efforts, as we cannot defend against threats we cannot detect,” Ghose added.
KPMG’s Tuteja noted that AI significantly improves the signal-to-noise ratio in cybersecurity. Security teams often face an overwhelming number of alerts and data, and AI can help filter out irrelevant information, allowing them to concentrate on the most significant threats. He also highlighted the use of generative AI to simulate phishing attempts, saying, “Previously, phishing simulations were quite basic. Now, we can mimic attacker behavior using generative AI, enhancing our training for personnel.”
Bhardwaj from GMR Group pointed out that AI can generate reports and summaries of cybersecurity incidents, saving analysts considerable time. “A security analyst monitoring alerts can interact with the AI tool in a conversational manner, asking questions just like they would with their manager or CISO,” he explained.
What Will It Take to Secure India?Wipro’s Madhok emphasized that awareness is essential for building cyber resilience, urging the government to create a framework that fosters trust in security systems and promotes the safe adoption of digital technologies. It’s worth mentioning that an updated version of India’s National Cyber Security Policy (NCSP), originally established in 2013, has been in development for four years.
To tackle the shortage of cybersecurity professionals in India, Madhok suggested starting training programs at the university level. “With over 525,000 villages in the country, reaching everyone is a challenging task that requires a large-scale effort from the government,” he added.
When asked about fostering collaboration among hackers, panelists noted that defenders are also working together more closely, both with each other and with governmental bodies. However, Tuteja highlighted that differing motivations hinder defenders from collaborating as effectively as attackers. While hackers are often driven by a desire for recognition and notoriety, defenders may hesitate to share information about breaches due to concerns over embarrassment or reputational harm.
Microsoft’s Renewed Focus on CybersecurityLast year, the US Cyber Safety Review Board determined that “Microsoft’s security culture was inadequate and requires an overhaul.” Shortly after, CEO Satya Nadella introduced the Secure Future Initiative (SFI), which mobilizes over 34,000 Microsoft engineers to improve the company’s cybersecurity strategy.
In July 2024, Microsoft Windows systems worldwide faced a significant outage that affected critical infrastructure, including airports, banks, and hospitals. The outage was traced back to a faulty software update from cybersecurity firm Crowdstrike. Subsequently, reports emerged indicating that Microsoft intended to restrict kernel-level Windows access for vendors like Crowdstrike.