Cyber attacks on critical infrastructure can bring an entire nation to a halt: Col. Alok Shankar Pandey, CISO, Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India

In conversation with Express Computer, Col. Alok Shankar Pandey, CISO, Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Limited (DFCCIL), discusses how the rapid digitisation of critical infrastructure has significantly expanded the cyber threat landscape, making sectors like payments, power, and healthcare increasingly vulnerable to disruption. He explains that the entry of nation-state actors, coupled with the growing sophistication of ransomware and AI-driven attacks, has fundamentally changed how organisations must approach cybersecurity. Emphasising that prevention alone is no longer sufficient, he calls for a strong focus on cyber resilience, faster recovery capabilities, and continuous monitoring. Pandey also highlights the urgent need for AI-led defence mechanisms and stronger identity protection in the era of deepfakes, while stressing that cybersecurity must be treated as a business risk with active involvement from the entire leadership team—not just the CISO.

With critical infrastructure becoming increasingly digitised, how should organisations re-evaluate their cybersecurity ...