CERT-In: Building a Safe, Trusted and Accountable Cyberspace

India’s rapid digital transformation has reshaped governance, commerce, and citizen services at an unprecedented scale. From digital payments and e-commerce to online public service delivery, digital technology has become integral to everyday life. As digital adoption accelerates, safeguarding cyberspace has emerged as a national priority. Cert-in is positioned as India’s Frontline Defender against Cyber Threats.

With rising instances of online fraud, phishing, ransomware attacks, AI-driven scams, and threats to critical digital infrastructure, the need for a coordinated and resilient cybersecurity framework has never been greater. Recognising this challenge, the Government of India has put in place robust policies, institutional mechanisms, and operational capabilities to ensure a safe, trusted, and secure digital environment.

At the centre of India’s cybersecurity architecture is the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), operating under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and mandated by the Information Technology Act, 2000. CERT-In provides the institutional depth for national cyber defence by overseeing incident management, enhancing systemic resilience, and promoting secure digital practices across government, industry, and society. Its work underpins the protection of India’s rapidly expanding digital ecosystem and supports confidence in digital platforms and services.

In today’s interconnected digital landscape, cybersecurity is no longer a purely technical concern but a foundational pillar of national security, economic stability, and public trust. The scale and complexity of digital systems demand continuous vigilance, coordinated action, and strong institutional leadership. By combining policy direction with operational readiness, CERT-In not only responds to emerging cyber threats but also anticipates risks, builds resilience, and ensures that India’s digital growth remains secure, inclusive, and sustainable.

India’s Expanding Digital Landscape 

Over the last decade, India’s digital footprint has grown exponentially. It is driven by rising internet penetration, widespread smartphone adoption, and the rapid expansion of digital public services. By 2025, internet connections in India crossed the milestone of 100 crore, reaching 100.29 crore, compared to 25.15 crore in March 2014. Average monthly data consumption per wireless data subscriber increased nearly 399 times, rising from 61.66 MB in 2014 to 24.01 GB in 2025, among the highest globally.

This strong digital foundation has enabled remarkable growth in digital payments. The Unified Payments Interface (UPI) has emerged as the central pillar of India’s digital payment ecosystem. In December 2025 alone, UPI processed over 21 billion transactions valued at more than ₹27 lakh crore. While this digital expansion has significantly enhanced convenience and inclusion, it has also widened the attack surface for cyber threats. To address these risks, the Union Budget 2025–26 allocated ₹782 crore for cybersecurity, underscoring the government’s strong focus on securing India’s digital infrastructure. 

In this context, CERT-In’s role assumes critical importance as the cornerstone of India’s cybersecurity framework. CSIRT-Fin i.e. Computer Security Incident Response Team for the Financial Sector functioning under CERT In, strengthens cybersecurity in the financial sector by enabling coordinated incident response, information sharing, and providing guidance and support for the Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance (BFSI) sector. Similarly CSIRT-Power works as an extended arm of CERT-In for fortifying the cybersecurity posture of the Power Sector by coordinating and analysing cyber incidents, acting on cyber threat intelligence from CERT-In, taking proactive containment measures based on situational awareness details provided by CERT-In, ensuring cybersecurity audits are carried out and mitigating vulnerabilities as reported by CERT-In’s Cyber Swachhta Kendra (CSKs).

Core Functions of CERT-In for the National Cybersecurity 

CERT-In is the national agency for cyber incident response in India. Its mandate under section 70B of the Information Technology (IT) Act 2000 includes the prevention of cyberattacks, real-time monitoring of cyber threats, and swift coordination with stakeholders to mitigate and contain cyber incidents.

Core functions of CERT-In includes:

● Promoting cybersecurity awareness among organisations and citizens,

● Facilitating information sharing through its automated cyber threat exchange platform,

● Sharing near-real time information on existing and potential cyber threats with organisaitons covering all sectors,

● Collaborating with international partners, industry and academia,

● Conducting regular training programmes, cybersecurity exercises/drills

● Operating CSKs for ensuring cyber hygiene & a Command & Control Center for facilitating monitoring of cyber threats and attack campaigns 

● Coordinating mitigation measures with organisations and stakeholders during significant national and international activities,

● Institutionalising responsible vulnerability disclosure

● Supporting incident investigations & supporting law enforcement agencies through its cyber forensics capabilities,

● Enabling organisations & providing guidance on cyber crisis management plan implementation to enhance national preparedness.

Through sustained operational engagement and coordinated response mechanisms, CERT-In ensures rapid containment of cyber incidents and supports the restoration of affected systems across sectors. Its continuous flow of actionable intelligence and guidance enables stakeholders to strengthen preparedness, reduce systemic risk, and respond effectively to evolving threats. Together, these efforts contribute to minimising disruption, accelerating recovery, and reinforcing confidence in India’s digital ecosystem.

CERT-In at the Core of India’s Cyber Resilience Strategy

CERT-In continues to serve as the cornerstone of India’s national cyber defence architecture through proactive threat detection, rapid incident response, and large-scale capacity building. Its achievements in 2025 reflect a sustained and systematic effort to strengthen institutional resilience, secure critical digital infrastructure, and reinforce trust in India’s rapidly expanding digital ecosystem.

In 2025, CERT-In also published a comprehensive suite of reports, whitepapers, guidelines, advisories, and vulnerability notes, providing timely, actionable guidance to organisations and stakeholders for proactive cyber risk mitigation and resilience building.