India needs to focus on research and development to build its technology independence. India has a strong ecosystem of academic and R&D institutions with industry and startup. India can build its research and development capabilities to position itself as the R&D hub for the world, especially for Cyber Security. To gain self-reliance in technology, roadmaps for R&D shall help to synergies their efforts in technology and engineering to build the India stack.

MeitY R&D in Cyber Security Group has embarked on seeking multi-stakeholder consultations for the Cyber Security R&D roadmaps for various the areas viz IoT Security, Mobile Security, Cyber Forensics, Quantum Technology, Cryptography. The team is conducting multi-stakeholder consultation meets at four regions of country for each roadmap, that shall be followed by inter-ministerial consultation at Delhi before its submission to NITI Aayog. The roadmap aligns to NITI Aayog’s strategy for Research and Development in the country. The development of these roadmaps and synergizing efforts of stakeholders is extremely critical and adaption will ensure safer cyber world for humans.

The Cyber Forensics Roadmap being critical and adaption making it ubiquitous in human lives. India needs to develop indigenous tools and technologies and standards, for ensuring safe, trusted and accountable cyber world.

The draft roadmaps are published on MeitY website to seek inputs from stakeholders:

1. Improvement in the draft technology roadmap proposed

2.Insights on emerging threats in the IoT Security landscape, not addressed in the roadmap.

3. ⁠Short term(5), medium(10-15years) and long term technology(15-25 years) targets missed if any in the roadmap

4. Proven research or tools that are available with your team, please submit with supporting documentary proofs.

 

Roadmap highlights:

The roadmap comprehensively covers various aspects of digital forensics including cyber forensics, software forensics, emerging technology forensics and application on conventional document forensic aspects. In the draft roadmap, the following are the key areas (but are not limited to in Cyber Forensics at national level

Short Term:

In the next 5 years, the roadmap suggests to work on social media Analytics Tool, Dark Web Forensics, Pornography Detection, CCTV Footage Analysis Tool, Deepfake Detection tool, CCTV Forensics for Event Reconstruction Tool, CCTV Forensics for Event Reconstruction and Real Time Fraud Detection, Audio Forensic Analysis, Document Forensic Analysis, GPS Forensic, Drone Forensic, Application Vulnerability Forensics & user of side channel in Digital Forensics.

Mid Term (15 years):

In the next 15 years, the roadmap suggests to work on Drone Forensics, SSD Deleted Data Recovery, Intelligent Storage Media Imaging, Vehicle Forensics, Audio Forensic Analysis, Video Forensic Analysis, Detection & Analysis of Child Exploitation/Human Trafficking/Drug Trafficking, Forensics of Cyber Crimes against Women and Predictive Forensics, Forensics of large-scale cyber-attacks like cyber war, cyber terrorism (Internet Forensics) & DDoS attack.

Long term (25 years):
For long term, the roadmap suggests to work on Detection & Analysis of Child Exploitation/Human Trafficking/Drug Trafficking, Forensics of Cyber Crimes against Women and Predictive Forensics, Forensics of large-scale cyber-attacks like cyber war, cyber terrorism (Internet Forensics), DDoS attack, Forensics of large scale cyber-attacks like cyber war, cyber terrorism, IoT Forensics of various domains, Smart Wearable Forensics of Smart Watches, Healthcare monitoring devices etc, ICS/SCADA Forensics, Embedded System Forensics & Firmware Forensics.

Disclaimer: The draft roadmap has been prepared by conducting multi-stakeholder consultations and are open for comments and suggestions. It is a constantly evolving process and roadmap shall be updated as per the comments received. The roadmap does not limit anyone to take up research in areas not covered, instead it is a guide to the need for India’s digital forensic ecosystem.

Cyber Forensics Roadmap of India.pdf633.69 KB