Concepts and Practices for Cyber Security

About the Monograph

This book is borne out of the experiential learning of its two authors during their long careers in public service. While the objective is to address the compelling need for cyber security awareness in the age of information systems, the focus is on both theory and practice. In an evolving domain such as the cyber security, an understanding of its fundamentals is vital. Keeping this in view, the book starts with the basic concepts behind the development and operation of information systems. As is necessary for a book on security, it highlights threats to information systems next. Guidelines for formulation of cyber security policies and the means for their implementation and operation constitute the middle core of the book. Incorporating cyber security during the many stages of a system development cycle is given due coverage next, followed by a discussion on applicable standards. The penultimate chapter gives an overview of the emerging domain of quantum information technology and its impact on cyber security. The treatment of the subject is at a level accessible to the middle-level managers in public and private organisations. At the same time, experts in the domain too would find something to reflect upon and to evolve new solutions to the persisting problems of cyber security.

About the Authors

Dr G Athithan received his BE (Hons) degree in Electronics and Communications from the Coimbatore Institute of Technology, India in 1981. He received his PhD in Physics (of Neural Networks) from the Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai, India in 1997. After a stint of seven years in the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) of India, he joined the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) of India in 1988, from where he retired in 2018. At present, he is appointed as a DRDO Chair in the Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics, Bengaluru, India. His work in DAE was mostly on computer graphics, computer-aided design, and modelling of Penrose patterns and crystal structures. Later, in DRDO, he contributed to the development of parallel computing technology, scientific data visualisation, and information security solutions. He was a Distinguished Scientist and one of the Director Generals of DRDO at the time of his retirement. His current research interests are artificial intelligence, network data mining, and cyber security technologies. He has published about 25 papers in peer-reviewed journals, about 30 papers in conference proceedings, and has co-authored a book. He is a senior member of IEEE.

Dr Saibal K Pal completed his Post-graduation in Computer Science in 1991 from the University of Allahabad and PhD in the area of Information Security from the University of Delhi. He joined DRDO in 1991 and is presently working as Scientist ‘G’ and Divisional Head at Scientific Analysis Group, Delhi. He has contributed to several R&D projects and international collaborations. He has also served as the Chief Information Security Officer of DRDO during the period 2017-19. His areas of interest are cryptology, cyber security, computational intelligence and information systems. He has authored three books on electronic governance and data science and more than 250 research publications in peer-reviewed journals and conference proceedings.