#FactCheck - Viral Video Misleadingly Tied to Recent Taiwan Earthquake

Introduction

The Data Security Council of India’s India Cyber Threat Report 2025 calculates that a staggering 702 potential attacks happened per minute on average in the country in 2024.  Recent alleged data breaches on organisations such as Star Health, WazirX, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), BSNL, etc. highlight the vulnerabilities of government organisations, critical industries, businesses, and individuals in managing their digital assets. India is the second most targeted country for cyber attacks globally, which warrants the development and adoption of cybersecurity governance frameworks essential for the structured management of cyber environments. The following global models offer valuable insights and lessons that can help strengthen cybersecurity governance.

Overview of Global Cybersecurity Governance Models 

Cybersecurity governance frameworks provide a structured strategy to mitigate and address cyber threats. Different regions have developed their own governance models for cybersecurity, but they all emphasize risk management, compliance, and cross-sector collaboration for the protection of digital assets. Four such major models are: 

1. NIST CSF 2.0 (U.S.A): The National Institute of Standards and Technology Cyber Security Framework provides a flexible, voluntary, risk-based approach rather than a one-size-fits-all solution to manage cybersecurity risks. It endorses six core functions, which are:  Govern, Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond, and Recover. This is a widely adopted framework used by both public and private sector organizations even outside the U.S.A. 
2. ISO/IEC 27001: This is a globally recognized standard developed jointly by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). It provides a risk-based approach to help organizations of all sizes and types to identify, assess, and mitigate potential cybersecurity threats to Information Security Management Systems (ISMS) and preserve the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information.  Organizations can seek ISO 27001 certification to demonstrate compliance with laws and regulations.
3. EU NIS2 Directive: The Network and Information Security Directive 2 (NIS2) is an updated EU cybersecurity law that imposes strict obligations on critical services providers in four overarching areas: risk management, corporate accountability, reporting obligations, and business continuity. It is the most comprehensive cybersecurity directive in the EU to date, and non-compliance may attract non-monetary remedies, administrative fines up to at least €10 million or 2% of the global annual revenue (whichever is higher), or even criminal sanctions for top managers. 
4. GDPR: The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)of the EU is a comprehensive data privacy law that also has major cybersecurity implications. It mandates that organizations must integrate cybersecurity into their data protection policies and report breaches within 72 hours, and it prescribes a fine of up to €20 million or 4% of global turnover for non-compliance. 

India’s Cybersecurity Governance Landscape 

In light of the growing nature of cyber threats, it is notable that the Indian government has taken comprehensive measures along with efforts by relevant agencies such as the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Reserve Bank of India (RBI), National Payments Corporation (NPCI) and Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), CERT-In. However, there is still a lack of an overarching cybersecurity governance framework or comprehensive law in this area. Multiple regulatory bodies in India oversee cybersecurity for various sectors. Key mechanisms are: 

1. CERT-In Guidelines: The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team, under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), is the nodal agency responsible for cybersecurity incident response, threat intelligence sharing, and capacity building. Organizations are mandated to maintain logs for 180 days and report cyber incidents to CERT-In within six hours of noticing them according to directions under the Information Technology Act, 2000 (IT Act).
2. IT Act & DPDP Act: These Acts, along with their associated rules, lay down the legal framework for the protection of ICT systems in India.  While some sections mandate that “reasonable” cybersecurity standards be followed, specifics are left to the discretion of the organisations. Enforcement frameworks are vague, which leaves sectoral regulators to fill the gaps. 
3. Sectoral regulations: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI), the Department of Telecommunications, the Securities Exchange Board of India (SEBI), National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIIPC) and other regulatory bodies require that cybersecurity standards be maintained by their regulated entities. 

Lessons for India & Way Forward 

As the world faces unprecedented security and privacy threats to its digital ecosystem, the need for more comprehensive cybersecurity policies, awareness, and capacity building has perhaps never been greater. While cybersecurity practices may vary with the size, nature, and complexity of an organization (hence “reasonableness” informing measures taken), there is a need for a centralized governance framework in India similar to NIST2 to unify sectoral requirements for simplified compliance and improve enforcement. India ranks 10th on the World Cybercrime Index and was found to be "specialising" in scams and mid-tech crimes- those which affect mid-range businesses and individuals the most. To protect them, India needs to strengthen its enforcement mechanisms across more than just the critical sectors. This can be explored by penalizing bigger organizations handling user data susceptible to breaches more stringently, creating an enabling environment for strong cybersecurity practices through incentives for MSMEs, and investing in cybersecurity workforce training and capacity building. Finally,  there is a scope for increased public-private collaboration for real-time cyber intelligence sharing.  Thus, a unified, risk-based national cybersecurity governance framework encompassing the current multi-pronged cybersecurity landscape would give direction to siloed efforts. It would help standardize best practices, streamline compliance, and strengthen overall cybersecurity resilience across all sectors in India.
‍

References

• https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/635e632477408d12d1811a64/676e56ee4cc30a320aecf231_Cloudsek%20Annual%20Threat%20Landscape%20Report%202024%20(1).pdf 
• https://strobes.co/blog/top-data-breaches-in-2024-month-wise/#:~:text=In%20a%20large%2Dscale%20data,emails%2C%20and%20even%20identity%20theft. 
• https://www.google.com/search?q=nist+2.0&oq=nist+&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqBggBEEUYOzIHCAAQABiPAjIGCAEQRRg7MgYIAhBFGDsyCggDEAAYsQMYgAQyBwgEEAAYgAQyBwgFEAAYgAQyBwgGEAAYgAQyBggHEEUYPNIBCDE2MTJqMGo3qAIAsAIA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8 
• https://www.iso.org/standard/27001
• https://nis2directive.eu/nis2-requirements/ 
• https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/technology/india-ranks-number-10-in-cybercrime-study-finds/articleshow/109223208.cms?from=mdr 

‍

Introduction

Sexual Offences against children have recently come under scrutiny after the decision of the Madras High Court which has ruled that watching and downloading child sexual porn is an inchoate crime. In response, the Supreme Court, on 23 September 2024, ruled that Section 15 of the POCSO and Section 67B of the IT Act penalise any form of use of child pornography, including storing and watching such pornographic content. Along with this, the Supreme Court has further recommended replacing the term “Child Pornography” which it said acts as a misnomer and does not capture the full extent of the crime, with a more inclusive term “Child Sexual Exploitative and Abuse Material” (CESAM). This term would more accurately reflect the reality that these images and videos are not merely pornographic but are records of incidents, where a child has either been sexually exploited and abused or where any abuse of children has been portrayed through any self-generated visual depiction.

Intermediaries cannot claim exemption from Liability U/S 79 

Previously, intermediaries claimed safe harbour by only complying with the requirements stipulated under the  MOU. As per the decision of the SC, now, an intermediary cannot claim exemption from the liability under Section 79 of the IT Act for any third-party information, data, or communication link made available or hosted by it unless due diligence is conducted by it and compliance is made of these provisions of the POCSO Act. This is as per the provisions of Sections 19 and 20 of the POCSO read with Rule 11 of the POCSO Rules which have a mandatory nature.

The due diligence under section 79 of the IT Act includes the removal of child pornographic content and immediate reporting of such content to the concerned police units in the manner specified under the POCSO Act and the Rules. In this way, the Supreme Court has broadened the Interpretation and scope of the ‘Due Diligence’ obligation under section 79 of the IT Act. It was also stated that is to be duly noted that merely because an intermediary complies with the IT Act, will not absolve it of any liability under the POCSO. This is unless it duly complies with the requirements and procedure set out under it, particularly Section 20 of the POCSO Act and Rule 11 of the POCSO Rules.

Bar on Judicial Use of the term ‘Child Porn’

Supreme Court found that the term child pornography can be trivialised as pornography is often seen as a consensual act between adults. Supreme Court emphasised using the term Child Sexual Exploitative and Abuse Material  (CESAM) as it would emphasise the exploitation of children highlight the criminality of the act and shift the focus to a more robust framework to counter these crimes. The Supreme Court also stated that the Union of India should consider amending the POCSO Act to replace the "child pornography" term with "child sexual exploitative and abuse material" (CSEAM). This would reflect more accurately on the reality of such offences. Supreme Court also directed that the term "child pornography" shall not be used in any judicial order or judgment, and instead, the term "CSEAM" should be endorsed.

Curbing CSEAM Content on Social Media Platforms

Social Media Intermediaries and Expert Organisations play an important role in curbing CESAM content. Per the directions of the Apex Court, a need to impart positive age-appropriate sex education to prevent youth from engaging in harmful sexual behaviours, including the distribution, and viewing of CSEAM is important and all stakeholders must engage in proactive measures to counter these offences which are under the umbrella of CSEAM. This should entail promoting age-appropriated and lawful content on social media platforms and social media platforms to ensure compliance with applicable provisions.  

Conclusion 

In light of the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling, it is imperative to acknowledge the pressing necessity of establishing a safer online environment that shields children from exploitation. The shift towards using "Child Sexual Exploitative and Abuse Material" (CSEAM) emphasizes the severity of the crime and the need for a vigilant response. The social media intermediaries must respect their commitment to report and remove exploitive content and must ensure compliance with POCSO and IT regulations. Furthermore, comprehensive, age-appropriate sex education can also be used as a preventive measure, educating young people about the moral and legal ramifications of sexual offences, encouraging respect and awareness and ensuring safer cyberspace. 

References

• https://www.scconline.com/blog/post/2024/09/23/storing-watching-child-pornography-crime-supreme-court-pocso-it-act/#:~:text=Supreme%20Court%3A%20The%20bench%20of,watching%20of%20such%20pornographic%20content
• https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/supreme-court-viewing-child-porn-is-offence-under-pocso-it-acts/articleshow/113613572.cms
• https://bwlegalworld.com/article/dont-use-term-child-pornography-says-sc-urges-parliament-to-amend-pocso-act-534053  
• https://indianexpress.com/article/india/child-pornography-law-pocso-it-supreme-court-9583376/

‍

Introduction

‍

With the advent of cloud computing, new information and asset delivery avenues have become possible, including Infrastructure-as-a-Service, Platform-as-a-Service, and Software-as-a-Service. With this change, the conventional paradigm of "computer as a product" is replaced with "computing as a service," which is provided to customers via the internet by big data warehouses or the cloud. Additionally, it has brought about an essential shift in how organisations function, allowing them to access computer tools and services online instead of needing to construct and manage their IT systems. As a result, organizations are now more agile, scalable, and efficient and can react swiftly to shifting consumer demands and market situations.

The Growth of Remote and Hybrid Workspaces

‍

Hybrid and remote workplaces are becoming more popular post-pandemic era. Many businesses have used regional workplace solutions to manage a more scattered workforce. IT departments are put in a difficult position since they have to make sure that branch office staff and remote workers can access the information they require safely and dependably. VPNs and Direct Internet Access links are becoming more and more popular, thus IT professionals are coming up with innovative ways for connecting distant locations to the main office while protecting the confidentiality of information.

User Portability

‍The widespread use of mobile devices for work, along with the growing Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) culture, has significantly contributed to the rise of remote work and flexible work environments. Employees can now connect to corporate systems using either personal or company-issued devices through secure methods such as Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) or cloud-based platforms. This has made teleworking, work-from-home setups, and flexible work hours increasingly common and practical, allowing for greater productivity and work-life balance.

Growing Volume of Traffic

‍

Professionals in the modern workplace must have access to private apps stored in a data centre or a multi-cloud setup. Nevertheless, these programs might not always be easily accessible from branch offices or by remote workers and staff members might not have instant support for IT. Organizations must discover solutions to this problem so that remote workers may consistently and dependably access company resources while also making the most of their current assets. It is important to note that employees need reliable and secure ways to access their work tools from anywhere, just like they would in the office.

Battling Networking and Security Issues in a Post-Pandemic Setting

‍

While many businesses have successfully adopted a cloud-first approach for new system implementations or have deployed specific Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solutions, many are still struggling to fully reap the benefits of moving most or all of their business software to the cloud.

‍

• Conventional IT frameworks allowed for the creation of the present company applications. Because of this, these applications are frequently inflexible and configured for fixed capacity across a limited number of data facilities. Certain organizations could lack the elements required to oversee an entire cloud migration. This could be the result of things like an affinity for on-premises systems, aversion to alteration, or a lack of experience with cloud systems. 
• Although cloud computing might be a cost-effective solution for some workloads, it might not be the best choice overall. Running certain applications in a combination of cloud services or on-premises may be more cost-effective. 
• Particularly if they are regionally distributed, workloads requiring high connection speeds or low latency may not be ideal for cloud computing.
• If a corporation lacks authority over the servers in the cloud, it may be concerned about the integrity of its data stored there. Consequently, they would rather keep it inside their data facilities.
• Firms may be restricted in their ability to migrate some types of information to the cloud by legal or compliance regulations. 

Networking and Cybersecurity Consolidation: Handling Present Risks

‍

In the past, protecting a network required establishing boundaries and keeping an eye on communication between recognized devices. However, it is now required for a network's components to work together as a cohesive system due to shifting expectations. To do this, flexible network pieces must be able to communicate with one another while also protecting workflows, apps, and payments that move across different devices. The current problem is to effortlessly combine security with network capabilities and connection so that data can flow between constantly moving devices while being inspected, encrypted, and subject to regulation.

Infrastructure and security personnel must update their methods and equipment to better meet these constraints to deliver reliable, efficient, and trustworthy access across users, apps, and regions within an enterprise. Inevitably, networking and safety will eventually merge for improved organizational alignment.

Businesses may stay ahead of the competition in attracting top people in an increasingly diverse and cost-effective workplace by integrating a virtual and physical workforce. The future of security solutions lies in consolidation and platformisation; a cloud-centric Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) the capacity offering paired with network edge capabilities like secured Software-Defined Wide Area Network (SD-WAN) can improve and automate the safety measures of the company while also cutting down on the complexity and expense of managing disparate point remedies.

Safe Networking: Moving Towards This Phenomenon and Concentration of Cybersecurity

‍

Companies relying on conventional networking models often face challenges in securing modern elements, such as cloud-based applications, remote users, mobile devices, and distributed locations, because traditional networks were not designed with these factors in mind. A robust networking strategy integrates both safety and networking into one system to get around these problems. It enhances security posture and network performance. It improves the user's experience and lessens the complexities of management. It is important to combine point product providers into a risk management platform rather than implementing safety measures one at a time. Tighter cooperation, greater efficiency, and a quicker, better-coordinated reaction to network threats are made possible by this.

SASE: A Coordinated Method

‍

Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) is a cloud-based architecture that offers security and networking solutions as needed and unites all edges into a single logical connection.

SASE drivers

‍

Conventional safety measures are ill-suited to deal with the more dispersed and complicated IT environment brought about by the advent of the Internet of Things, edge computing, and telecommuting. Using SASE, security and network services may be accessed from the cloud, eliminating the need to backhaul traffic to a single data centre for safety assessment.

‍

• Distant user traffic assessment and blind spots presented difficulties for companies.
• Full oversight over hybrid network operations is provided by SASE technology, which provides network services including FWaaS, SWG, DLP, and CASB.
• Issues around abnormal port usage and policy violations have arisen as more customers access SaaS apps from different gadgets and regions.
• SASE technology reduces the cost of hiring IT staff by combining safe access to resources from one supplier.
• SASE technology consolidates secure accessibility capabilities from one vendor, hence lowering the cost of hiring IT workers.
• One major benefit of SASE technology is its ease of administration. Even when overseeing multiple offices inside a corporate network, the IT department's job is minimized because a single cloud-based administrator manages the entire system.

Recommendations

‍

• For high-risk use cases, consider utilizing Zero Trust Network Access to supplement or replace the outdated VPN for distant users.
• Take inventory of the gear and agreements in order to progressively replace the branch and perimeter hardware on-site over a few years in favour of delivering SASE functionalities via the cloud.
• Simplify and cut expenses by grouping suppliers when VPN, CASB, and encrypted web portal agreements are up for renewal. Profit from a market that has come together and integrated these security edge services.
• Limit SASE products to a couple of partnering companies.
• Irrespective of location, integrate Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) and methods of authorization (such as MFA) for every client, including those in the workplace or branch.
• To meet security and regulatory requirements, select SASE products that provide you control over where inspection takes place, how traffic is directed, what is recorded, and where records are kept.

Conclusion

‍

The development of cloud technology, the rise of offsite and hybrid workplaces, and the increased challenges in communication and privacy following the pandemic highlight the necessity for a comprehensive and integrated strategy. By adopting SASE (Secure Access Service Edge), a cloud-centric framework that enables secure connectivity across diverse environments, businesses can enhance cybersecurity, streamline operations, and adapt to the evolving needs of modern workplaces. This approach ultimately contributes to a safer and more efficient future for information architecture.

References

‍

• https://www.dsci.in/files/content/knowledge-centre/2023/DSCI-Fortinet%20POV%20Paper.pdf
• https://www.datacenterknowledge.com/cloud/cloud-trends-and-cybersecurity-challenges-navigating-future
• https://banagevikas.medium.com/cybersecurity-trends-2024-navigating-the-future-10383ec10efe

Authors:

‍

Soumya Gangele (Intern - Tech & Policy), CyberPeace

Neeraj Soni (Sr. Researcher), CyberPeace

‍