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On an average, 150 to 170 million (15 to 17 crore) cyber attacks are reported every day on the country’s largest stock exchange NSE (National Stock Exchange). To counter these threats, NSE has deployed a special team of cyber warriors active 24 hours a day, who immediately identify and neutralize these attacks.

A senior NSE official said, “Lakhs of cyber attacks occur every day, but our technical team and modern systems remain constantly alert. With the help of special software and machine intelligence, these attacks are immediately thwarted.” Recently, during ‘Operation Vermillion’ conducted by the Indian Army, more than Rs 40 crore cyber attacks took place on NSE in a single day. However, the attackers were not able to cause any damage to the technical infrastructure of the exchange. All attacks were neutralized due to NSE’s strong technical team, advanced machines and security infrastructure.

Normally there are 15 to 17 crore attacks on NSE every day. The exchange’s security teams remain vigilant 24 hours a day to prevent such threats. NSE currently has two cyber defense centres, which continuously monitor transactions and all digital channels. Here every data is scanned by advanced software so that any suspicious activity can be stopped immediately. Strict rules are implemented in the security infrastructure to protect against email, pen drive, external data and DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attacks. If any suspicious traffic is seen, the system immediately gives a pop-up and alert.

In a DDoS attack, traffic is sent to a server from thousands of sources simultaneously, which brings the system down. If such an attack happens on a financial institution like NSE, the trading system may be closed for millions of investors. Keeping this risk in mind, NSE has made stringent security audits like VAPT (Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing) mandatory for all trading members and staff. NSE has an advanced automated backup system, which can be activated remotely from Chennai as and when required. The official said, “If there is any technical glitch, Chennai’s backup system takes over immediately.” Till now NSE has not had to face such a situation.

NSE officials said that due to increasing digital networks and global connectivity, cyber threats have increased more than before. Nevertheless, NSE has such a strong security infrastructure that it is fully prepared to meet every challenge.