National Cyber Security Strategy 2026: Protecting Critical Infrastructure
The government has released the National Cyber Security Strategy 2026 to safeguard India's digital economy and critical infrastructure.
Key Points for Quick Revision
- Focus on protecting Critical Information Infrastructure (CII).
- Proposal for a unified 'Cyber Command'.
- Emphasis on regular security audits for government and private sectors.
- Promotion of 'Cyber Swachhta' among citizens.
How This Topic is Tested in Competitive Exams
| Exam | Frequency | Approx. Marks | What Gets Asked |
|---|---|---|---|
| UPSC / State PCS | Medium | 4–8 | UPSC focuses on strategic aspects: defence policy, Indo-Pacific, border issues, and bilateral defence deals. |
| SSC (CGL / CHSL / MTS) | High | 3–5 | Defence acquisitions, military exercises, and appointments appear in SSC GK. |
| Banking (IBPS / SBI) | Low | 1–2 | Rarely tested in banking exams. |
What to Memorize from This Topic
- Military exercise: name, participating countries, location, purpose
- Defence acquisition: system name, purpose, procured from which country
- Appointments: new Chief of Army Staff, CNS, CAS, and their tenures
- Indigenization: 'Made in India' defence milestones, first-ever systems
- Strategic policy: recent changes to defence export policy, FDI limits in defence
Practice Questions
Q1. Which organization is the national nodal agency for responding to computer security incidents in India?
- CBI
- CERT-In
- RAW
- IB
Explanation: CERT-In (Indian Computer Emergency Response Team) is the nodal agency for cyber security incidents.
Q2. What is the primary focus of the National Cyber Security Strategy 2026?
- Increasing internet speed
- Protecting critical information infrastructure
- Selling software
- Promoting social media
Explanation: The strategy primarily focuses on safeguarding critical infrastructure like power and banking from cyber threats.
How to Prepare Defence for Government Exams
For every military exercise, note: India + Partner country + Purpose (bilateral or multilateral). Questions are pattern-based.
Defence indigenization ('Atmanirbhar Bharat in Defence') is a high-priority topic for 2025–26. Focus on systems developed by DRDO or HAL.
Chiefs of defence services change periodically. Always keep the current CDS, Army Chief, Navy Chief, and Air Chief up to date.