Bharat NCX 2024 | Elevating India’s Cybersecurity Preparedness to New Heights

About Bharat NCX

Bharat NCX 2024 aspires to fortify India’s national cyber defense by enhancing the preparedness and resilience of vital stakeholders, including government bodies, critical infrastructure operators, and defense sectors. Orchestrated by the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS), this comprehensive cybersecurity exercise replicates intricate cyberattack scenarios to rigorously test and refine incident response mechanisms. The exercise emphasizes the identification of vulnerabilities, the optimization of response strategies, and the promotion of seamless interagency collaboration, thereby advancing India’s overarching cyber readiness. Under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and the strategic guidance of Home Minister Shri Amit Shah, the establishment of a Cyber Safe India has emerged as a top-tier priority for the Nation. The government’s unwavering commitment to constructing a secure digital environment underscores the recognition that cybersecurity is now a cornerstone of all security considerations on a global scale.

Why Join Bharat NCX?

Bharat NCX is a critical exercise designed to simulate real-world cyber threats, enabling organizations across key sectors—such as government, BFSI, telecom, energy, and healthcare—to assess and strengthen their cybersecurity preparedness. By fostering collaboration between public and private entities, NCX enhances the collective ability to respond to and mitigate cyber risks, ensuring the security and resilience of India’s digital infrastructure against evolving threats. It is a proactive approach to building a robust cybersecurity ecosystem that safeguards national interests and ensures business continuity in a rapidly digitizing world.

Enhance Cybersecurity Skills

NCX provides a hands-on opportunity to sharpen your cybersecurity expertise by participating in simulated cyber attack scenarios and learning the latest defense strategies.

Network with Industry Leaders

NCX brings together cybersecurity professionals, government representatives, and key stakeholders from multiple sectors, offering valuable networking opportunities to build connections and share knowledge.

Test Response Readiness

The event allows participants to test their organization's crisis response strategies in a controlled environment, helping identify strengths and areas for improvement in real-world cyber incident management.

Contribute to National Security

you play an active role in strengthening India's cybersecurity ecosystem, contributing to the protection of critical infrastructure and supporting the nation’s digital resilience against emerging cyber threats

Aim & Vision

The aim of Bharat NCX 2024 is to strengthen India’s cyber defense framework and enhance the preparedness of key stakeholders, including government agencies, critical infrastructure entities, and defense sectors. This exercise, led by the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS), is designed to simulate complex and realistic cyberattack scenarios to test and improve response capabilities. Bharat NCX 2024 seeks to identify weaknesses, optimize response protocols, and promote effective coordination among agencies, elevating the nation's overall cybersecurity posture. Bharat NCX 2024 reflects this commitment by promoting cybersecurity awareness and ensuring that India remains prepared to counter evolving cyber threats and safeguard its digital sovereignty.

Bharat NCX'24 Objectives

Enhance Cyber Defense Capabilities Experiences

Strengthen the cyber defense mechanisms of government agencies, critical infrastructure providers, and defense sectors by simulating real-world cyber attack scenarios.

Test & Improve Incident Response

Test and refine the effectiveness of incident response plans, ensuring that stakeholders are equipped to respond swiftly and effectively to complex cyber threats.

Foster Collaboration & Identify Vulnerabilities

Promote interagency coordination and information sharing, while uncovering vulnerabilities in current cybersecurity frameworks to improve national security.

Raise Awareness & Ensure Digital Sovereignty

Cultivate a culture of cybersecurity resilience and safeguard India's digital infrastructure to maintain strategic autonomy and defend against cyber adversaries.

Participation

The Bharat NCX 2024 exercise will prominently feature participants from India's Critical Information Infrastructure (CII) sectors, which are integral to the nation's stability, security, and essential services. These sectors are vital due to their role in sustaining the nation's core functions and ensuring public safety.

The seven primary CII sectors include Power & Energy, which supports the nation’s electrical grid and energy resources; Banking, Financial Services & Insurance (BFSI), crucial for economic stability and financial operations; Telecommunications, enabling national communication networks; Transport, essential for the movement of people and goods; Government Services, which maintain administrative and strategic functions; Strategic & Public Enterprises, representing sectors that contribute to national security and public interests; and Healthcare, which ensures public health and emergency response capabilities.

NCX Conduct

The conduct stage of Bharat NCX 2024 will be an immersive and comprehensive series of events designed to elevate the nation's cyber defense capabilities through targeted training, expert engagement, practical exercises, and strategic decision-making simulations. The event will span from 18th to 29th, incorporating the following key elements:

Cybersecurity Training

18th-23rd Nov

This phase will feature intensive training sessions led by eminent instructors and experts in the cybersecurity field. Participants will benefit from a hands-on learning experience into advanced cyber defense strategies.

Daily Subject Matter Expert (SME) Talks

18th-23th Nov

Throughout the training period, daily SME talks will be conducted, offering participants exposure to a diverse range of topics and perspectives in the cybersecurity domain.

Live Fire Exercise

25th to 29th Nov, 2024

A critical component of Bharat NCX 2024, the live fire exercise will simulate real-world cyberattack scenarios, enabling participants to apply their training in a controlled yet realistic setting.

CISO’s Conclave

27th Nov, 2024

The CISO’s Conclave on the 27th will be a platform for Chief Information Security Officers and cybersecurity leaders to convene, exchange insights, and discuss the latest trends and challenges in safeguarding critical information infrastructure.

Startup Exhibition

27th to 29th Nov, 2024

The event will feature a dedicated startup exhibition, showcasing cutting-edge innovations and solutions in the cybersecurity space.

STRATEX

28th to 29th Nov, 2024

The event will culminate with the Strategic Decision-Making Exercise (STRATEX), simulating high-stakes scenarios that require informed and strategic decision-making.

Valedictory event

29th Nov, 2024

Bharat NCX 2024 is designed to be an all-encompassing cybersecurity initiative that not only enhances technical proficiency but also builds a culture of proactive strategy and coordination among India's cybersecurity stakeholders.

Virtual Labs

14th Nov onwards

To ensure a uniform level of knowledge among participants and enhance their capabilities, the exercise incorporated a virtual lab training session. This session provided an opportunity for pre-training study, enabling participants to familiarize themselves with foundational concepts and prepare effectively for the upcoming training.

Hybrid Exercise

28th to 29th Nov, 2024

The exercise employs a hybrid training approach by actively integrating inputs from the participating Blue Team members. Their strategic decisions and defense injects are incorporated into the Startex, allowing them to take a proactive role in shaping responses from a strategic perspective.