CERT-In India was set up in 2004 within the Ministry of Electronics & IT (MeitY), the national nodal agency that deals with all cybersecurity issues of India. The mandate of CERT‑In India is to counter cybersecurity attacks, distribute warnings, and create cyber resilience across India, with particular emphasis on government, corporate, and individual users in India against emerging cyber threats.

Role & Responsibilities of CERT‑In India

India CERT-In India is the official incident response, monitoring, and anticipation agency in India associated with cyber attacks. Its most relevant activities are in identifying and handling cybersecurity events, giving early warning, vulnerability testing, forensics services, and assisting in addressing the nationwide security of key information infrastructure under the IT Act under Section 70B.
✅ Acting as the first responder for major cybersecurity incidents across the government and private sectors.
✅ Issuing alerts and guidance on vulnerabilities and emerging cyber threats.
✅ Conducting training, security assessments, and forensic analysis.
✅ Operating a 24×7 helpdesk and collaborating with organizations to minimize cyber risks.
✅ Empowered under Section 70B of the IT Act, giving it the authority to call for information and issue binding directions.

Advisories, Alerts & Vulnerability Management by CERT‑In India

CERT In India cautions stakeholders through frequent security alerts and vulnerability notes about new cyber threats, outbreaks of malware, and software vulnerabilities. It has published hundreds of warnings and notifications on everything, including phishing scams leveraging the fear of the pandemic, to serious bugs in popular programs, to help companies and users implement relevant mitigation so that organizations and citizens could remain secure.
✅ Timely security advisories covering malware, ransomware, phishing campaigns, and critical software vulnerabilities.
✅ Alerts about high-profile risks, such as COVID-19-related phishing attacks or critical flaws in popular applications like WhatsApp or Chrome.
✅ Vulnerability notes and mitigation guidelines to help organizations patch systems.
✅ In 2021 alone, CERT‑In India handled ~1.4 million incidents, issued 618 alerts, 52 advisories, and 390 vulnerability notes.

Botnet Cleaning Centre: Cyber Swachhta Kendra by CERT‑In India

CERT-In India launched the Cyber Swachhta Kendra in 2017, aimed at addressing the prevalence of botnets. The Cyber Swachhta Kendra provides people with free tools to scan and clear their infected computers. This action is in liaison with internet service providers and antivirus companies, where millions of Indians are able to protect their systems and limit the impact of malicious botnets in the Indian digital world.
✅ It identifies botnet infections among Indian users and guides their cleaning.
✅ Offers free removal tools developed with antivirus vendors.
✅ Collaborates with ISPs to alert affected users.
✅ In 2021, it tracked 44 million infections, reaching 94% of India’s subscriber base.

International MoUs & Radiating Collaboration of CERT‑In India

CERT-In India has inked Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with nations such as the UK, Singapore, and Australia to exchange threat intelligence and participate in joint cyber exercises, since threats in this field are universal. Being actively involved in international meetings and organizations such as APCERT and FIRST would assist CERT-In India to become more internationally collaborative, which would also help it to become better prepared to respond to major cyber incidents.
✅ It actively participates in global cyber groups like APCERT and FIRST.
✅ Conducts joint cyber drills with partners to enhance incident response.
✅ Collaborates with organizations like Mastercard and the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre to secure critical banking infrastructure.

Mission & Future Vision of CERT‑In India

CERT In India has a mission of securing the cyberspace of India by identifying threats, collaborating, and building capabilities to achieve this constantly. In the future, it seeks to develop more in the field of IoT and AI-based cybersecurity, become the CVE Numbering Authority in India, and encourage the secure digital adoption in the country by proactively responding to new risks and exchanging experiences with local and global collaborators.
✅ Strengthening incident response and fostering a cybersecurity culture.
✅ Expanding capabilities in areas like IoT security, AI-based threat detection, and advanced malware analysis.
✅ Becoming India’s official CVE Numbering Authority to assign vulnerability IDs for Indian software.
✅ Enhancing cooperation with international agencies to combat global cybercrime.

Conclusion

CERT-In India has been instrumental in safeguarding the online environment in the country, having been established as the first line of defense against cyberattacks in India to currently a driving force in secure digital transformation. CERT-In India, through releasing timely advisories, mitigating botnets, and global cooperation, is ensuring better cyber resilience in India to enjoy a secure digital future in the days to come.