State and non-state actors are increasingly using cyberspace as a platform to execute hybrid warfare. As multiple incidents in India have shown critical infrastructures, particularly nuclear infrastructures, have been lucrative targets of cyber-attacks. Considering India’s well-progressing civilian and military nuclear infrastructures, it is apposite to raise the question of how safe these nuclear infrastructures are from cyber threats. This article suggests that India’s nuclear infrastructures will remain exposed to cyber-attacks due to their strategic significance for India’s national security. These threats will continue to exploit the zero-day vulnerabilities in the cyber-physical systems of these infrastructures. Further, the article looks into the threat sources, consequences and mitigation strategies against cyber-attacks on nuclear infrastructures. In an attempt to explore mitigation strategies, the article discusses certain cyber-attack scenarios and the consequences on India’s nuclear infrastructures. The article concludes that while certain technological cyber-defence mechanisms are in place, there is a need for legislative and diplomatic measures for developing a comprehensive set of measures to deter cyber threats to India’s nuclear infrastructures.

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The Taliban’s capture of Kabul in 2021 has presented the neighbourhood and beyond with layers of challenges to deal with, particularly for the Persian Gulf. On the one hand, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) members are concerned about the repercussions of the change of guard in Kabul vis-à-vis terrorism and refugee-related instability. On the other, the withdrawal of US forces has questioned their policy priorities, leading them to consider variegating their international partners for their security imperatives. The developing situation in Afghanistan can alter the geopolitical equations in the Persian Gulf. The growing importance that Qatar has received from the US and the Taliban due to its status as a mediator and Turkey’s entry using the Doha card are among the main influencing factors. The GCC governments neither praised nor criticised the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan. Their responses so far, though cautious and limited, have been pragmatic, putting their national interest first. However, Saudi Arabia, UAE and Qatar will continue to be relevant in Afghan affairs either directly or indirectly through diplomatic and economic overtures as they realise that a stable Afghanistan is in the best interest of the GCC. Such moves are crucial to ensure the crisis does not spill over to the Gulf. Through its diplomatic, economic and religious clout, the GCC can catalyse the international community to devise a multi-pronged approach to bring peace and stability to Afghanistan.