India to build cyber attack proof operating system

BANGALORE - The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is developing a futuristic operating system to protect its sensitive data from cyber attacks, including hacking, a top official said Saturday.

“We initiated the indigenous computing project in September and a road map is being drawn to implement the programme,” DRDO director general V.K. Saraswat told reporters on the sidelines of a function here.

To be located in Bangalore and New Delhi, the operating system would be similar to systems used worldwide.

“Though it will be a real-time system with Windows software, source code and architecture will be proprietary, giving us the exclusivity of owning a system unknown to foreign elements and protect our security system,” Saraswat said after unveiling a training facility at the Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (CAIR), a defence lab in this tech hub.

The new operating system will also reduce the organisation’s vulnerability and susceptibility to cyber attacks from internet.

The first of its kind initiative will be used to secure the defence systems for computing in various research areas such as molecular computing and bio-molecular computing, used by the security formations, Saraswat, who is also security advisor to the defence minister, pointed out.

“We have pooled 50 scientists from various defence labs in Bangalore and New Delhi to work on the project,” the official said.

The defence laboratory tied up with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Chennai and other universities.

“We have also roped in private firms to develop the project,” Saraswat added.