New Delhi, Jan 23 (IANS) The Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) at the centre of India’s cybersecurity architecture handled over 29.44 lakh cyber incidents in 2025, issued 1,530 alerts and 390 vulnerability notes, the government said on Friday.

CERT-In empanelled 231 certified cybersecurity audit organisations, strengthening audit and vulnerability assessment capacity across critical information and communication technology infrastructure, according to an official statement.

Cyber Swachhta Kendra (CSK), established by CERT-In, covers 98 per cent of India’s digital population, sending large-scale notifications on botnet and malware infections.

It has onboarded 1,427 organisations and recorded 89.55 lakh downloads of its free botnet‑removal tools, which helped detect and remediate malware, the statement said.

The centre tracks networks of internet-connected devices such as computers, mobile phones, IoT devices, and home routers that are infected with malware.

It provides free tools and guidance to help users clean infected devices and works closely with industry, academia, and internet service providers to identify compromised systems and alert users.

The government highlighted capacity building and preparedness exercises of CERT-In, as it conducted 32 specialised technical training programmes, 95 awareness sessions reaching 91,065 participants, and trained 20,799 officers and cybersecurity professionals.

CERT-In’s functions include promoting awareness, facilitating information sharing through its automated cyber threat exchange platform, sharing near‑real‑time threat information, and conducting regular training and exercises.

CERT-IN conducted 122 cybersecurity drills and exercises, including tabletop exercises for 1,570 organisations across public and private sectors for personnel in defence, paramilitary forces, space, atomic energy, telecommunications, finance, power, oil, and natural gas industries, etc.

CERT-In identified and published 29 common vulnerabilities and exposures and has been recognised by international platforms including the World Economic Forum, the University of Oxford, and France’s ANSSI for AI‑driven threat detection and real‑time threat intelligence sharing, the statement said.

India’s internet connections reached 100.29 crore in 2025, compared to 25.15 crore in March 2014. The country’s average monthly data use per user rose to 24.01 GB, among the highest globally, from 61.66 MB in 2014, the statement said.

–IANS

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