Cyber Security threats today are of very high magnitude; ISRO Chairman S Somanath

Cyber security threats today are of very high magnitude and are not limited to the personal data but can affect the security of the nation itself,  ISRO Chairman S Somanath said.

There is a cyber security threat perception for not only ISRO but also the whole nation as they can threaten our lives and our existence. With the expansion of large number of applications, cyber security threats are also expanding, Somanath said. He was speaking on the sidelines of laying the foundation stone for 'Cyber Nalanda,' one of the first private cybersecurity R&D centre in India, which is being set up by SISA a Bengaluru based global forensics-driven cybersecurity solutions company. 

“When I had joined ISRO initially I was not exposed to computers much. Cyber security was nothing but anti-virus for us. Gradually when I assumed different positions at ISRO I got much better insights into cyber security,” said Somanath. He said that ISRO worked on a frugal budget and in order to be cost effective they needed to go in for more simulation rather than actual hardware prototypes which were expensive to create. 

Interestingly the Cyber Nalanda is expected to be operational by August 15, 2025. The vision of SISA is to make this centre a global hub for cybersecurity innovation, focusing on collaboration with academia, significant investment in research, and bridging the global cybersecurity skills gap. SISA is dedicating 10 per cent of its annual revenue to R&D, ensuring that the solutions developed are designed in India but built to protect the world. Cyber Nalanda will also offer ANAB Accredited certification programs to equip the next generation of cybersecurity professionals, addressing the global shortage of 3.5 million unfilled jobs in the field. 

“With the rapid advancement of technologies like AI, robotics, 6G, and quantum computing, the risks we face are escalating. There is an urgent need for innovative approaches to address these emerging threats. By focusing on research and development, this initiative aims to contribute to the global cybersecurity landscape, with a commitment to fostering collaboration and advancing knowledge in the field,” remarked Dharshan Shanthamurthy, CEO and Founder of SISA. 

He further added that cyber crime's value today around 10.3 Trillion $, around 2.5 times the size of India's GDP. A cyber crime is happening against an organisation across the world every 39 seconds. “We all need to be prepared for cyber attacks. MIT had done a study on cyber resiliancy across countries and they had done in 20 countries and out of that India came at 17th position as far as cyber resiliency across the world is concerned. Despite India being a technology power house India scored low in cyber resiliency,” added Shanthamurthy. 

SISA is a forensics-driven cybersecurity firm for the digital payments industry. Many other organizations use its solutions and services for securing their businesses with preventive, detective, and corrective cybersecurity solutions.  The company is using forensic intelligence and advanced technology to offer security to more than 2,000 customers across 40 plus countries.