Are the Information Technology firms in the city safe from a Sony Pictures-like cyber attack? “The IT firms are vulnerable. Any breach in the data security of a major company, may lead to the entire outsourcing industry collapsing. But we are unprepared,” said Tobby Simon, a city-based cyber security expert, heading a strategic group Synergia Foundation.
He spoke to The Hindu before heading to Munich, Germany, on Thursday, a day before he participates in the Munich Security Conference (MSC). Synergia Foundation is the first India-based think tank to be invited and anchor a workshop at the prestigious conference.
Munich Security Conference is one of the oldest security conferences in the world to analyse the security challenges of the day. This is the 51st annual conference; the first was held in 1963. National Security Advisor (NSA) of the country has been a permanent invitee to the conference since 2006. Apart from him, none had been invited for the conference so far.
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This year, Mr Tobby Simon will anchor a workshop: “Cyber Threats to Critical infrastructure and its impact on Global Governance.' The panel will have Carl Bildt, chairing the Global Commission on Internet Governance and foreign minister of Sweden, Michael Chertoff, Secretary US Home Land Security, Sir David Omand, Former head of British Cyber Intel and Mathias Von Blumencron, Editor – Frankfurter, Allemange. Incidentally Mr Simon is also a member of the Global Commission on Internet Governance.
Mr. Simon said cyber threats to critical infrastructure, was a topic closer home than it was usually regarded. “The government's cyber infrastructure is left ungaurded. It is no better than private firms. A persistant cyber attack on the power supply line, for instance can wreak havoc in the city. But the agencies are not factoring in such possibilities in their policy making. This may leave us vulnerable and exposed,” he said.