Policy Watch
World Economic Forum Report Highlights CERT-In’s Cybersecurity Initiatives
In a landmark acknowledgment, CERT-In’s initiative to strengthen cybersecurity resilience in Indian cooperative banks has been featured in the Global Cybersecurity Outlook 2025 report by the World Economic Forum. Under the leadership of Dr. Sanjay Bahl, this structured program has significantly boosted incident-management capabilities, addressing the critical cybersecurity challenges faced by resource-starved cooperative banks.
In a proud moment for India’s cybersecurity community, the Global Cybersecurity Outlook 2025 report by the World Economic Forum (WEF) has featured a case study lauding the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) for its groundbreaking initiative to enhance cybersecurity resilience in cooperative banks. The effort, spearheaded by CERT-In’s Director-General Dr. Sanjay Bahl, has been recognized for addressing the growing sophistication of cyber threats faced by cooperative banks, particularly those serving rural and agricultural communities.
Indian cooperative banks play a vital role in driving financial inclusion and supporting grassroots-level growth. However, their resource limitations, lack of trained staff, and inadequate incident response mechanisms have made them highly vulnerable to cyberattacks. Recognizing these challenges, CERT-In introduced a well planned eight-month program involving 40 cooperative banks across the country. The program aimed to build cybersecurity incident-management capabilities among bank officers through rigorous cyber drills.
The initiative was designed around the four pillars of resilience: anticipate, withstand, recover, and evolve. Through a series of structured exercises, participants were encouraged to critically analyze and solve problems related to cyber incidents. The program not only imparted technical skills but also instilled a culture of critical thinking and adaptability among participants.
The cyber drills were mapped to measurable parameters, and the results were striking. Banks showed significant improvement in their cumulative resilience, as measured through weighted summation across the four pillars. The initiative ensured these banks were better prepared to withstand and recover from potential cyberattacks, reinforcing public confidence in their operations.
Dr. Sanjay Bahl, Director-General of CERT-In, played a pivotal role in the success of this initiative. His leadership was highlighted in the WEF report as a driving force behind the program’s design and implementation. Under his guidance, CERT-In not only addressed immediate cybersecurity challenges but also laid the foundation for a long-term, sustainable framework to secure cooperative banking systems in India.
Dr. Sanjay Bahl, Director-General of CERT-In
WEF acknowledged the program’s success in bridging the gap between knowledge and practical application. By creating a structured relationship between cognitive processes and incident response strategies, the initiative emerged as a global model for resilience-building in vulnerable sectors.
The inclusion of this case study in the Global Cybersecurity Outlook 2025 report points to India’s growing leadership in the global cybersecurity arena. As part of the World Economic Forum’s collaboration, the report identifies CERT-In’s initiative as a stellar example of how focused, well-executed programs can strengthen systemic cybersecurity resilience.
The report also emphasized the critical role public-private partnerships can play in building a secure cyberspace. By tackling grassroots-level challenges with innovative approaches, CERT-In has set a benchmark for other nations grappling with similar cybersecurity issues.
In addition to its work with cooperative banks, CERT-In has been actively conducting cyber drills and exercises aimed at improving cyber crisis management in both the corporate and government sectors. These drills focus on testing and strengthening the resilience of critical infrastructure, ensuring preparedness for any potential cyber crisis.
Furthermore, CERT-In has developed the Cyber Swachhta Kendra, which collaborates with Department of Telecommunications, Internet Service Providers, Antivirus companies and academia to detect systems infected by bots and notify the end users regarding infection of their system and providing them assistance to clean their systems.
The program’s success is expected to inspire further innovations in cybersecurity across the nation, ensuring that even the most vulnerable institutions can stand resilient against the challenges of an increasingly digital world.
