Cyber Suraksha Exercise 2025 by Defence Cyber Agency strengthens India’s cybersecurity readiness with a 12-day multi-agency cyber drill.
🛡️ Cyber Suraksha: Defence Cyber Agency’s 12-Day Cyber‑Security Exercise
Introduction to Cyber Suraksha
The Defence Cyber Agency (DCA), under the Integrated Defence Staff of India, launched a comprehensive cybersecurity exercise named “Cyber Suraksha” on June 16, 2025, continuing through June 27, 2025. This multi‑phased training programme engages over 100 cybersecurity professionals drawn from national security and defence organisations. It employs gamified simulations of real‑world cyber‑attacks to test and sharpen participants’ responses to high‑pressure threats
Structured & Gamified Training Modules
“Cyber Suraksha” combines structured learning with dynamic, hands‑on challenge environments. Participants face targeted training encampments, immersive scenario-based evaluations, and high-speed drills. All are designed to reinforce secure operating practices and fine‑tune incident‑response tactics under stress
CISOs Conclave: Leadership in Focus
In parallel with technical drills, the exercise features a Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) Conclave—a leadership module with expert-led talks and a culminating Table‑Top Exercise. This bridges the gap between frontline cybersecurity actions and strategic decision-making at senior levels
Strengthening National Cyber Resilience
The Ministry of Defence underscores “Cyber Suraksha” as a proactive step to bolster India’s cyber readiness. The DCA plans to institutionalise similar exercises regularly, cultivating a security‑first culture across defence domains
Holistic Ecosystem Engagement
By integrating operators, strategists, and technology experts, “Cyber Suraksha” fosters cohesive coordination across India’s cybersecurity ecosystem. It reinforces cross‑agency collaboration and unified response in evolving digital threat landscapes .
Why This News Matters for Aspirants
Relevance in Exam Syllabus
Aspirants preparing for exams like CDS, CAPF, SSC, Banking, Railways, and UPSC often encounter questions on national security and cybersecurity challenges. “Cyber Suraksha” exemplifies India’s strategic measures to defend critical infrastructure—aligning well with General Studies papers and optional subjects like Public Administration and Polity.
Real‑world Policy Insight
This initiative reflects a shift in national defence policy—embedding cybersecurity into mainstream military preparedness. Such integration highlights the evolving nature of warfare, equipping students with current examples for essays, interviews, and case studies.
Leadership & Strategy Component
The CISOs Conclave element makes a strong case for leadership roles in cybersecurity. Aspirants in administrative and officer streams should understand how strategy and command structures are integrated in national defence exercises.
Dynamic Problem-solving & Resilience
Gamified, time‑pressured drills emphasise quick decision-making—skills highly valued in police, defence, and administrative services. Understanding such frameworks helps in writing analytical answers and tackling scenario-based questions.
Forward‑looking Governance
Institutionalising regular cybersecurity drills showcases good governance and proactive statecraft. This underpins discussions on national preparedness frameworks, civil–defence coordination, and digital policy—key topics in PSCS and IAS mains.
Historical Context: The Evolution to Cyber Warfare
Genesis of Cyber‑Defence in India
India’s formal cybersecurity infrastructure dates back to 2004, with the formation of CERT-In, the nodal agency for incident response under MEITY Over time, cybersecurity has advanced from policy advisories to defence-grade operational integration.
Shift from CERT-In to DCA
While CERT‑In managed incident responses and advisory issuance, growing global cyber threats led Defence stakeholders to champion military-level preparedness. The formation of the Defence Cyber Agency (DCA) and subsequent exercises like Cyber Suraksha mark this strategic pivot.
Pre‑cursor Exercises
Earlier exercises, such as the 2024 “Cyber Suraksha” conducted in May, hinted at an annualised approach The current 2025 iteration builds on past frameworks, scaling scope to include leadership forums and larger multi‑agency teams.
Global Context & Regional Pressures
Triggered by rising cyber threats—especially from neighbouring countries—India has escalated its cyber readiness. Exercises at national and military scales mirror global practices, reinforcing its commitment to digital national security.
Key Takeaways from “Cyber Suraksha”
| S. No. | Key Takeaway |
|---|---|
| 1. | Cyber Suraksha is a 12‑day exercise (June 16–27, 2025) by the Defence Cyber Agency to strengthen national cyber resilience |
| 2. | Over 100 participants from national defence and security agencies are involved in multi‑phased, scenario-based cybersecurity simulations . |
| 3. | Includes a dedicated CISOs Conclave, featuring expert talks and a Table‑Top Exercise to enhance leadership-level cyber readiness . |
| 4. | Emphasises gamification and real‑time pressure drills to test analytical and incident‑response capabilities . |
| 5. | Marks a move toward institutionalising cyber‑defence exercises, indicating long‑term state strategy for a proactive digital defence ecosystem . |
FAQs: Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. What is Cyber Suraksha?
Cyber Suraksha is a 12-day cybersecurity exercise launched by the Defence Cyber Agency (DCA) of India. It focuses on enhancing cyber readiness across defence and national security agencies.
Q2. When is Cyber Suraksha being conducted?
Cyber Suraksha is scheduled from June 16 to June 27, 2025.
Q3. Who is participating in Cyber Suraksha?
Over 100 cybersecurity professionals from various national defence and security agencies are participating in the exercise.
Q4. What is the objective of the CISOs Conclave in Cyber Suraksha?
The CISOs Conclave is aimed at enhancing strategic leadership in cybersecurity, featuring expert talks and a table-top exercise for senior decision-makers.
Q5. Why is Cyber Suraksha important for defence preparedness?
Cyber Suraksha helps build coordinated cyber defence strategies, simulates real-time threats, and prepares both technical and strategic personnel for cyber warfare scenarios.
Q6. How is this news relevant for competitive exams?
This topic is important for questions related to defence, internal security, cybersecurity policies, and government initiatives—frequently asked in UPSC, State PSCs, SSC, CDS, and CAPF exams.
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