Introduction

For India to have secure internet, CERT-In plays a crucial role. It is crucial for CERT-In to keep evolving and improving its capabilities in order to stay on top of the game as cyber threats develop.

To effectively protect against cyber risks in India, organizations must guarantee CERT-In guidelines compliance. Utilizing a CERT-In empanelled auditor is one way to ensure compliance.

How would you define CERT-IN?

CERT-In is a national agency that responds to security incidents and reports on vulnerabilities. It was established in 2004 under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. On April 28, 2022, all entities, including service providers, intermediaries, businesses, and governmental organizations, received Extensive instructions from the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-IN), which is part of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.

CERT-in Empanelment Auditors

CERT-In Empanelment is the procedure by which businesses, also known as empaneled auditors, are granted permission by Cert-In to carry out information security audits and certifications. These audits determine whether a company complies with a set of cybersecurity standards and best practices. It denotes that a company has satisfied the requirements and has the relevant experience to conduct cybersecurity assessments.

In accordance with CERT-In, empanelled security auditors may, as part of an audit, speak with important decision-makers, carry out vulnerability assessments and penetration tests, compile a list of current security policies and controls, and test IT assets. This is carried out to evaluate the effectiveness of information security controls.

The empanelled security auditor organization carries out the following tasks in this effort:

Examining IT security regulations
Information security testing
Evaluation of Internet Technology Security
Process Security Assessment
evaluation of application security
Evaluation of Communication Security
WLAN Security Inspection
Physical Security Checkup

Benefits Associated with Kratikal’s CERT-In Empanelment

Enhanced Security Posture: Organizations must undertake extensive evaluations of their information security procedures as part of the CERT-In empanelment process. By identifying vulnerabilities, gaps, and weaknesses, this examination enables organizations to improve their security posture.
Compliance with Regulatory Requirements: Empanelment helps organizations comply with various regulatory frameworks and guidelines, such as the Indian IT Act and the Data Protection Laws. It ensures adherence to the recommended security controls and safeguards.
Competitive Advantage: Organizations can get a competitive advantage through empanelment by setting themselves apart from non-empaneled businesses. It offers a reputable benchmark for assessing an organization’s cybersecurity capabilities and may play a major role in securing partnerships or contracts.
Credibility and Trust: Empanelment by CERT-In enhances an organization’s credibility and instills trust among clients, partners, and stakeholders. It demonstrates the organization’s commitment to ensuring the security and confidentiality of information.

Why Organizations Need CERT-In Empanel Certification

One of the best ways to verify the security of Indian organizations is through CERT-In certification. The organizations who stand to gain the most from a CERT-In certification are as follows:

Businesses that transact with the Indian government on matters of software, hardware, or services
Businesses and related software covered by the SEBI Cybersecurity and Cyber Resilience Framework rules
Organizations that use the National Informatics Centre (NIC) to host online applications or websites
Companies or people employing software should adhere to the UIDAI – AUA KUA Compliance mandate.
Organizations or those who use the software in compliance with RBI or RBI Guidelines for NBFC sector cyber security.

Process Involved to get the Certification

A complete audit of the system – The security auditor will carry out a thorough level 1 audit of every part of your business, including the network, websites, and applications. After completing this, a comprehensive VAPT report outlining all tactics and outcomes is sent.
Re-testing audit – Level 2 auditing begins once the vulnerabilities identified during level 1 auditing of the complete system have been fixed. To determine whether the patches and changes are effective, the system will need to be tested once more. In addition, it will cover any newly discovered vulnerabilities and any omissions.
Issuance of certificate – The CERT-IN Security Certificate is granted following confirmation that everything went as planned. Your clients and/or partners may ask for the supporting paperwork in addition to the certificate and compliance reports. Although the procedure may appear to be easily broken down into three parts, it is important to remember that vulnerabilities are numerous, individual, and concealed. Companies should use this activity as a chance to improve their system rather than viewing it as a requirement. They can progress towards long-term security in this way.

Conclusion

The Indian government’s CERT-IN department handles a range of cyber security-related issues. As a result, receiving certification from such reputable organizations will undoubtedly raise your company’s security precautions. In some circumstances, getting a CERT-IN certificate is really required by law. However, the testing procedure is delicate and should only be performed by qualified, certified auditors. When problems occur that could permanently undermine the system, appropriate actions must be done.

Kratikal declared that, in addition to its current cybersecurity-enabled capabilities, they have been appointed by the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) to provide information security auditing services to businesses. We have extensive experience dealing with the problems that significant organizations run into while trying to meet complicated cybersecurity standards. Kratikal is given the authority to perform all of the aforementioned duties of a security auditing firm as set forth by CERT-In.

Get in touch with us for a thorough security check!