Security Conclave on Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP)

Critical infrastructure includes the assets, systems and networks, physical and virtual, vital to the nation and their incapacitation or destruction can have a debilitating effect on national security, public health and safety and the economy of the country at large.

We therefore take this opportunity at nullcon New Delhi on September 28th 2012 to spark off the first debate and report on India’s critical infrastructure security.

The discussion will be on the below mentioned framework:

Scenario 1: Attacks on the Power grid
An attack on key nodes of the bulk power system can critically disable, difficult to replace, equipment in multiple power generating stations and substations which can have a significant effect on the overall system. A prolonged response time may be required to fully restore the overall power system.

Scenario 2: Attacks on the Telecom system
The telecom system today forms the basis of our nation’s communication system. Along with connecting the citizens, it also helps in solving the most mysterious of crimes and espionage attempts. It is also heavily relied upon system for official communication. Attacks on the telecom system to render it unusable and to disrupt defense communication systems can wreak havoc during the time of need or emergency.

Scenario 3: Attacks on the Transport system
India is well known for its Rail transport system and with the emerging airline industry along with the defense transport systems if rendered unusable during emergency can cause severe damage to national security given the hostile nature of our neighbours and the reccurent terrorist attacks and other warfare strategies.

Scenario 4: Coordinated Cyber Attack on country’s multiple infrastructures
A coordinated disruption may disable or impair the integrity of multiple control systems and intruders may be able to take operating control of the subsets of various critical infrastructure elements such that the nation’s protection can be disarmed and mobility impaired to further launch strategic or direct attacks on the country’s home ground.

Scenario 5: International terrorism and critical infrastructure
How do we counter terrorism given the flaws and weaknesses in our critical infrastructure that render the nation partially incapable of addressing the threat?

Scenario 6: Conclusion
Identifying, prioritising and grading of critical infrastructure based on national security relevance. We aim to define the vision, mission and a standard for the critical infrastructure protection and conclude the discussion with recommendations, strategic protection methodology standard for India and invitation to kick off India’s first CIP task force comprising of experts from the industry, government and the academia to create the first of its kind CIP standard for national security.