CERT-In (the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team) is a government- mandated information technology (IT) security organization.
The purpose of CERT-In is to respond to computer security incidents, report on vulnerabilities and promote effective IT security practices throughout the country. The mission of CERT-In is to enhance the security of India’s Communications and Information Infrastructure through proactive action and effective collaboration. Its constituency is the Indian Cyber-community.
The purpose of the ICERT is, to become the nation’s most trusted referral agency of the Indian Community for responding to computer security incidents as and when they occur; the ICERT will also assist members of the Indian Community in implementing proactive measures to reduce the risks of computer security incidents.
CERT-In was created by the Indian Department of Information Technology in 2004 and operates under the auspices of that department. According to the provisions of the Information Technology Amendment Act 2008, CERT-In is responsible for overseeing administration of the Act. CERT organizations throughout the world are independent entities, although there may be coordinated activities among groups. The first CERT group was formed in the United States at Carnegie Mellon University.
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To enhance Cyber Security
The government’s top cyber security arm has initiated a probe into complaints of I-T department, banks and other financial bodies who have reported a spurt in cyber attacks and fake mails which was affecting their operations. The Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), a technical and cyber security department under the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, is the nodal agency to analyse and respond to cyber attacks and intrusions into country’s information and technology networks.
These agencies have asked the CERT-In to arm them with pro-active measures so that they can prevent phishing attacks as huge monetary transactions are involved and also recover any lost data. The CERT-In is working on incident reports sent by the I-T department and various banks who have complained about phishing attacks on their servers and in one case even the facsimile of a banking institution was stolen and used for fraudulent purposes.