Is GST Structure Safe from Malware?


The dictionary meaning of malware says it’s a software designed to disrupt, damage, or gain unauthorized access to a computer system.

For any new structure or system coming up online, the biggest challenge is to protect itself from malware and outside attacks or interruptions. To ensure the same a lot of firewalls are built within the structure. The GST network (GSTN) could have been exposed to all sort of cyber threats but all necessary steps were taken to protect the network from malware. GSTN has followed and embedded major threats mitigating principles addressing both internal and external threats. These include potential data tampering attempts for commercial benefit by individuals or groups, industrial espionage, insider and external attacks to steal or tamper data, along with cyber-attacks on GST system and unauthorized data and system access. The core GST system created by Infosys is not directly exposed to the internet. It has multi-layered security architecture built with some of the most updated technologies and products. The system access is role-based through secured channels and any data transfer from the GST System to State or other systems is in the encrypted format. Security tools include technologies like ATP, firewall, routers, anti-virus and malware solutions and IPS (host and network-based intrusion prevention system). Also, there’s DDoS (distributed denial of service) attack protection via a clean pipe (WAN link) from service providers and additional security appliance at GST System and the datacenters.

A lot of valuable information is provided by the users on the GST network and if the same is not protected it could lead to huge data leaks and create a ruckus. The GST network receives over 3 billion invoices every month. The GST network has from time to time assured its stakeholders that their data and information will be securely stored in encrypted form and that the access will be limited to assessing officers and the taxpayers.

Before the rollout of GST laws in India, speculations were rife about the possibility of the system being hit by malware but the IT team behind its implementation has done a tremendous job to ensure secure system run.

One of the major advantages of the GSTlegislation in India is that it operates on the Linux system thus making it much more secure in comparison to other operating systems. Other operating systems are much more vulnerable to malware attacks when compared with the Linux operating system.

GST Network’s IT infrastructure and security structure is well-designed and implemented in such a way that it is highly resilient and advance enough to mitigate evolving threats and risks, but as the GST system and its users grow more and more care will need to be taken to ensure that the GSTN keeps running smoothly and is protected from any sort of threat or attack from malicious users.


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