Lt General (Dr.) Rajesh Pant is an internationally recognized Cyber Security expert, presently tenanting the prestigious appointment of National Cyber Security Coordinator at the Prime Minister’s Office, India. General Pant brings to the table an interesting mix of military operations, academic excellence, corporate governance, and cybersecurity wisdom. Prior to this, he was the Head of the Army’s Cyber Training establishment for three years. He served in the Army Signals Corps for 41 years wherein he was awarded three times by the President of India for distinguished service of the highest order. He also served as the Chairman of Precision Electronics Ltd as a Governing Council Member of IETE (India). Sachin Gaur interviewed him on his viewpoint on India’s vision for cybersecurity.

Q. On behalf of InnoHEALTH Magazine, we congratulate you on your new assignment. For our readers, we would like you to share your short-term and long-term vision for Cybersecurity from national security perspective.
Short-term vision is to issue National Cyber Security Strategy 2020-25 early next year. Task force is working overtime on this by consulting all stakeholders. Long-term vision is to create an all-encompassing cyber vertical at the national level, to handle incident response, cybercrimes, legal issues and capacity building.

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Q. We know that there are some fundamental technological shifts waiting to happen like 5G, and along-with it massive (Internet of Things) IoT deployments and especially use cases of connected healthcare. Can you share your views on the cybersecurity implications of the connected devices?
IoT security is a priority topic world over and this is because the limited security capabilities of these devices are also an afterthought. We need to work on a framework, to bring baselinesecurity through the manufacturers and developers of these devices. These devices are omnipresent in our lives, we find them in our home environment to industrial environments including hospitals. We have seen attacks in the past, where such devices are compromised to launch massive denial of service attacks to manipulate the workings of critical infrastructure.
Also, the issue of IoT security is multidimensional, from data security, privacy to device security. As we discuss this, there are multiple acts and bills pending in the Parliament on these topics. While the bills and acts will provide a framework, we need to also create awareness on both sides, supplier and consumer on the possible risks and mitigation strategies.

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Q. What steps can be taken to improve the security in such connected devices?
When I say baseline security framework, it can be achieved in multiple ways.
As of today, most devices that we use including mobile phones, do not have a security testing certification. So, we can agree with the industry and look at important test cases and if they can do self-certification on such test cases.
For example: the device should not have weak default login credentials, it is sending data to a remote server and can be operated remotely. So, we can come up like a 5-star rating framework like that of the energy consumption but for the security of IoT devices basis what kind of tests they clear.
Industry bodies can agree on various levels of security and what it takes to achieve that level. Such a framework, when implemented, can provide confidence to consumers and users on the kind of device they are using vis-a-visthe use case they have at hand. So, they might use a higher security rating device in a use case where the stakes are high.
The other approach is to get the security testing done with notified agencies. Department of Telecom for example has announced mandatory security testing of network elements for telecom given telecom is a part of the critical infrastructure and security issuescannot be taken lightly.
Also, some of the emerging concepts in connected devices are missing in the various governing acts of the industrial connected devices. So, we also need to update our legal frameworks to cover software-based tempering of such devices and make the manufacturers and service providers accountable and proactive towards the security of the systems they provide.

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Q. What are the threats that you foresee for the health sector?
There are three areas we see where health sector can be impacted:
First is the data breaches and ransomware attacks on healthcare data. As we know, among all the data, healthcare is the most sensitive and sought after by malicious actors. Outside of India, we have seen umpteen cases where ransomware has crippled the health system and it is only after paying the ransom the hospitals can start operation again. Timely backups and encryption of healthcare data during storage is a preventive measure that clinical establishments can take to mitigate the breach and ransomware attacks.
Second is the manipulation of connected devices. The topic of IoT and connected devices security, as discussed in the above sections, directly apply to the medical devices. Healthcare is a domain where attacks on such devices can be life threatening, especially when there are implantable devices. As we have the new Medical Device Regulation Act in India since 2018, we should also consider cyber security aspect in the devices which have a communication interface. For example, a pacemaker which has a communication interface can be manipulated remotely and the patient’s life is at risk.
Third is the manipulation of health system including the building management. We are probably not very far from the days when sophisticated attacks, as we see in the movies, on high security establishments by manipulating the building controls. The building management systems are very weak when it comes to security. Every hospital is a building and imagine what a false fire alarm would mean to patients in Intensive Care Unit. Or even loss of air conditioning or sudden spikes in electrical power.
There is a proposed act DISHA, Digital Information Security Healthcare Act, which might address some of the legal aspects of security in the healthcare setting. A lot needs to be done in this area, and we are on our way.

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Q. Our readership consists of health experts all over the world. Any message for them?
We are at the cusp of a new age where we look to take advantage of Artificial Intelligence to Internet of Things. For such a knowledge economy to take off, health sector is at the center of it and health experts need to pay attention on what they are buying and how such systems are managed and operated. Through intervention of Ministry of Health & Family Welfare and responsible bodies such as National Accreditation Board of Hospitals & Healthcare Providers (NABH) of Quality Council of India, we plan to recommend a cyber audit and increased awareness of information security.
We would not want our hospitals and clinical establishments to be a prey for malicious actors. Rather we would want our experts to leverage technology to take the country to the next level in providing care to a wider population at a lower cost and of the highest quality.

There are many potential health risks to mental and physical well-being related to overuse of cell phones, especially low IQ & improper mental growth in children, sleep deprivation, brain tumors and psychiatric diseases are hot-button issues. Till date, studies related to radiations generated by mobile phones have been inconsistent and results have been conflicting. These wireless devices are now part of our everyday life, but they can be used in a manner that is safe enough, the most important point is the distance, holding a cell phone few inches away from our ear provides a thousand times reduction in risk. Unless a cell phone is turned off, it is always radiating, so when not in use, it should not be kept on the body. The best place to keep a cell phone is somewhere like a pouch, purse, bag, or backpack. These devices should be kept away from a pregnant woman’s abdomen, and a mother should not use a cell phone while breastfeeding and nursing, and baby monitors should not be placed in an infant’s crib. Children and teenagers need to know how to use mobile phones and wireless devices safely. Cell phones should not be permitted in children’s bedroom at all.

Can cell phones cause cancer?

In fact, there are solid grounds to believe it really is so. The cause for that is radio-frequency of electromagnetic fields given off by wireless and mobile devices. They have an adverse effect on our body, especially on growing skulls of kids, toddlers and teenagers, which can trigger the development of brain cancer in the future. According to a recent research conducted by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, excessive use of mobile phones may lead to the formation of brain tumors as glioma and acoustic neuroma. First and foremost, this is an issue for those adults and children who are virtually glued to their cell phones.

Pew research center has reported, that 75% of preteens and early teens keep all day their cell phones in their front pant pockets, which is way harmful for their reproductive health. Boys should not keep their cell phone in their front pants pockets. There is a potential harm to sperms, and girls should not place their cell phone in their inner wears. This recommendation was based on a case study of four young women with a history of keeping their cell phones in or near their inner wears, and who subsequently developed breast cancer. It’s obvious that more radiations are absorbed with more hours of use, so children should be taught to use their mobile phones as little as possible. Landlines, Skype, and computer phone services, when connected to the internet with a cable, don’t give off radiations, therefore the parents should encourage their kids to use those. Moreover, the Wi-Fi routers in the home should be placed away from where people, particularly children, spend most of their time.

Good health is above wealth, but majority of us undermine our personal health, and become more careless about our children’s mental and physical state day-by-day, caused by the excessive usage of cell phones. A recent survey found that 92% of world population has mobile phones today. Among which 31% admit that they never turn off their mobile phones. More than 90% of parents provide their kids cell phones, so they can easily keep in touch whenever they want to. All of this gives sufficient ground to talk about a cell phone addiction, specially about the possible dangers of cell phones on children’s health.

Why cell phones should be a complete ‘No’ to kids?
Checkpoints

Cell phone overuse has many severely bad side effects on children’s health primarily and adult’s health generally. We strive to be constantly connected and available. This makes us feel tired, nervous, and absent-minded. We hardly realize that a cause for our tiredness and fatigue is hidden in our pocket. It’s high time to determine more about the negative influences of mobile phones and other wireless technologies.

From time to time, many children and a few adults have a false feeling that their cell phone is vibrating in their pockets when it’s not. This situation is called a phantom pocket vibration syndrome. A study conducted by Dr. Michelle Drouin revealed that 89% of teenagers had experienced this type of sensation. This especially relates to the teenagers and undergraduates having a social media addiction. They are more anxious and nervous. Missing a text message from other side feels like a real tragedy to them. Reducing overall usage of mobile phones, and shutting off cell phone’s vibration is a good way to combat and to deal with this syndrome.

When texting someone or reading an article on the Internet, we all have to stare at a small-sized screen of our cell phone. This can put a lot of strain on kids’ eyes; they can dry out and hurt when blinking. Eventually, this may result in visual deterioration. To maintain clear sight, one needs to keep the device at least 12 to 16 inches away from the face.

While talking about cell phones and health, we cannot ignore their influence on the sleeping habits. Most of us including children even, get used to set the alarm and put a cell phone somewhere not far from the head or even under their pillow. In fact, it’s a very bad idea. As already mentioned, microwave radiations transmitted by a cell phone are harmful to a brain specially kid’s brains. Having a mobile device at hand can also end up with insomnia in children. They’ll feel tempted to check it at night. They won’t be able to sleep properly because of its vibrations and beeps. This can cause sleep deprivation, which can lead to serious mental health problems in children less than 19 years of age.

A healthy spine is one of the key factors of well-being during growing age. When our kids are slouching over a cell phone for most hours daily, they ruin their neck and back muscles. So, no wonder they feel the nagging pain in these parts. But wait, there’s more. Pain, strain and aching neck muscles can cause a severe headache to make things worse. So eventually, they’ll feel like a wreck. To keep our children healthy, it’s time to decide, that we should not allow our kids to overuse cell phones and other wireless devices.

About the author

Dr. Faisal Khan is a MRCPCH-UK scholar. He also has SMLE, MPH, MCPS to his credit. He hails from Pakistan and is currently practicing in Al-Dar Hospital Madina Munawara, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.