India's Electronics Sector Unfazed By US Tariffs: IT Secretary Krishnan

(MENAFN- KNN India) New Delhi, Apr 8 (KNN) India's electronics manufacturers are not 'overly concerned' about the impact of increased tariffs announced by US President Donald Trump, according to IT Secretary S Krishnan.

Speaking at the launch of the first digital threat report for the Banking, Financial Services and Insurance (BFSI) sector on Monday, Krishnan noted that the situation remains fluid and is being closely monitored.

"We've been in regular consultation with manufacturers in India. That is something that we are speaking to them on an ongoing basis,” Krishnan told reporters at the event, which was jointly organised by the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) and SISA, a private cybersecurity company.

“They are not overly concerned right now, but it also depends on how this whole situation plays out. It's a dynamic situation," he emphasised.

Regarding cybersecurity, Krishnan praised the BFSI sector for being ahead of many other industries, suggesting that its practices deserve wider implementation.

He emphasised the government's commitment to strengthening CERT-In as an institution, promising enhanced personnel, resources, capabilities, and equipment to support its growing role in national cybersecurity.

Krishnan highlighted the delicate balance required in discussing national cybersecurity capabilities, explaining that certain aspects must remain confidential.

"But at the same time, there are many capabilities I don't think I would like many of you to know what they are. Equally, I don't think I would like you to know what we don't know either," he stated at the launch event.

The IT Secretary stressed the importance of maintaining strategic ambiguity about India's cybersecurity capabilities, particularly given regional challenges.

"It is important that we maintain a posture where there are certain capabilities and capacities that are built up in these organisations, which are best not publicised or best not known simply because we are dealing with adversaries,” he noted.

“We are not in a particularly friendly neighbourhood. We are dealing with a range of adversaries," Krishnan remarked.

Describing cybersecurity as having both 'cloak and dagger' and 'cat and mouse' elements, Krishnan advocated for a measured approach to revealing India's defensive capabilities.

"While I would want to emphasise that there is constant vigilance, I would not want to advertise every capability or capacity that we have," he said.

Krishnan noted that cybersecurity operates both "in shadows" and in the 'public glare,' requiring collaboration across institutions and private companies.

He acknowledged that while the private sector faces a larger attack surface, government systems often contend with more sophisticated attacks from state actors, creating opportunities for mutual learning.

The IT Secretary underscored the critical need for developing domestic cybersecurity technology and capacity.

"This is one space where it is each country, each nation for themselves. Nobody is going to share the most advanced features of whatever cyber security defences they have,” he explained, adding that the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) is actively working to support cybersecurity and deep tech start-ups.

He elaborated,“Nobody is going to share with you the kind of hidden backdoors and everything else that different types of software could potentially have. So, we have to have domestic capabilities."

In December, MeitY had informed Parliament that cybersecurity incidents reported by the banking sector to CERT-In decreased by 81 per cent between 2021 and 2023.

However, the overall number of cybersecurity incidents reported to and tracked by CERT-In more than quadrupled between 2019 and 2023, while incidents related to government organisations more than doubled, suggesting increased awareness about reporting mechanisms.

(KNN Bureau)

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