Wanna cry again

Wanna cry again

The digital revolution has many rewards, but rolling cyberattacks show up its flip side.
Just last month the WannaCry infection hobbled hundreds of thousands of computers across 150 plus countries and this week another global cyberattack has wreaked havoc. Some security experts warn that this time the ransomware virus is actually a wiper in disguise, aiming at erasing data rather than extort. Either way the vulnerability of both businesses and critical national infrastructure has once again been worryingly exposed. India may be the worst affected by PetyaNotPetya in Asia, with both Mumbai's Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust and Gujarat's Pipavav Port being hit.
There's no doubt that we are living in an era of new vulnerabilities. Terrorism has spread online. Hacking of elections now looks like a realisable possibility rather than just an outlandish conspiracy theory . And as the internet of things become all-embracing (hooking up all automobiles, medical devices, TVs, manufacturing operations, power plants, etc) the task of outpacing ransomware, hacks and other cybercrime will only grow more demanding.
One name for this transition is the fourth industrial revolution. The first industrial revolution dramatically improved conditions of both work and leisure but not without big costs ¬ the toll of global warming for example is still rising. Likewise today's transition carries dangers. Perfect security is unattainable. But the right combination of national policies and international protocols, individual and corporate safeguards can minimise risks. Government of India needs to get much more serious about cyber defence and so does India Inc. Poorly maintained IT infrastructure will expose it to attack. It is also important to underscore that the WannaCry attack was defeated by a British researcher's kill switch. Individual heroes ¬ interestingly including ethical hackers or bug hunters ¬ continue to play a big role even in the new digital story .