After Swachh Bharat, the Union government has started yet another cleanliness initiative—this time on the internet. The government has launched Cyber Swachhta Kendra (Botnet Cleaning and Malware Analysis Centre) which will work along with ISPs (Internet Service Providers), anti-virus companies, CDAC (Centre for Development of Advance Computing) and academia to create a secure cyber ecosystem in the country.
The analysis centre has come up with software tools that will help internet users get rid of botnets and malware. These tools have been developed by CDAC and anti-virus company QuickHeal.
To control unauthorised usage of USB devices, the government has launched USB Pratirodh. USB Pratirodh essentially controls usage of removable devices such as pen drives and external hard drives, making it possible only for authenticated users to access removable storage media. Users can download the software for USB Pratirodh from Cyber Swachhta Kendra's website.
Another solution is AppSamvid that allows only pre-approved files to execute on the operating system. AppSamvid can protect operating system against computer malware such as viruses and trojans.
With cashless payments on surge, there is a need to secure mobile devices. For this, the government has launched Mkavach that addresses threats related to misuse of resources and protects against javascript malware. This too can be downloaded from the website.
Whenever an infection is detected, the centre will send alerts to the Internet Service Providers, who in turn will inform the end-user about the malware and botnet infections on their system. The centre will also work in close collaboration with the banks to detect malware infections in their banking network and enable remedial actions. The launch of the centre will help the internet service providers and the banks to keep their networks clean and prevent cases of cyber fraud and theft.
