To Combat Cyberattacks, EPFO Will Implement Next-Gen Security Operations Center (SOC)

A Next Generation Security Operations Centre (SOC) will be established internally by the Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) at its NDC Dwarka facilities in response to the increasing frequency of cyber threats and regulatory requirements such as Cert-IN, MeitY, and NCIIPC. A state-of-the-art Next Gen Security Operations Centre (SOC) has been established to enable proactive monitoring and forecasting of both internal and external cyber-attacks on the EPFO’s IT environment. This decision was made in light of Indian regulatory requirements (CERT-In, NCIIPC, etc.) and the growing threat landscape of unique cyber threats and malware, including threats originating from emerging technologies like AI/ML, blockchains, bots, dark webs, social engineering, cloud computing, etc.

The NDC, DR, and DC sites will be the first to use the EPFO SoC. Depending on the selected bidder’s scope of work, the EPFO SoC may include new stakeholders or state services as it becomes stable and mature. Together, EPFO and other parties will supply, install, test, commission, and monitor Next Gen SOC technology under a five-year contract that has been extended by three years to two years. Pratik Vaidya, MD & CVO of Karma Global, a tech-enabled HR Staffing & Compliance Organization, offered his thoughts on the development.

The Employees’ Provident Fund agency, or EPFO, is the biggest social security agency in the world based on the amount of transactions it does and the number of customers it serves. It currently manages 24.77 crore member accounts, and among the many programs under this act that are run by the Central Board of Trustees (CBT) are: (1) an insurance plan for workers in the nation’s organized sector; (2) a pension plan; and (3) a contributory provident fund.

Responses and Views Written by Pratik Vaidya Regarding EPFO Next Gen SOC
In light of the growing number of cyberattack cases, EPFO’s recent announcement that it will hire some professionals is a positive step in the right direction that should have been taken sooner. Nevertheless, going forward, it might be a good idea to establish an internal next-generation security operations center (SOC) that will be staffed by a team of highly qualified security professionals on a 24x7x365 basis. I worry that these cyber dangers have the ability to compromise any system or interfere with its operation, causing loss of money, interruptions to workflow, and harm to one’s reputation if security measures are not implemented.

I believe that many Western countries’ businesses are utilizing cloud-based security analytics and operation technologies. Seven out of ten organizations polled had SIEM (security information and event management) platforms implemented, 64% had used threat intelligence, and the same percentage had endpoint detection and response (EDR) tools. In addition to strengthening internal security management and stepping up efforts to avoid data breaches, including those from third parties, efforts should be intensified and focused more on security measures that prevent network access.

With the scope and number of its transactions, EPFO’s decision to implement round-the-clock and year-round surveillance is impressive and deserves high praise.