Maya OS may now be installed on every computer in India to prevent CrowdStrike and other problems that may arise in future. Cyber experts in the country say that the way Crowdstrike created an outcry in the entire world. Due to this, preparations have started in India to bring the entire industry on their self-made operating system.
What is Maya OS?
Maya OS is an operating system developed specifically for the Indian Defence Ministry. It was implemented in August 2023 and is based on the Ubuntu Linux distribution, which is known for its security features. Here’s a quick rundown of Maya OS:
- Developed by: Indian government agencies including DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organisation), C-DAC (Centre for Development of Advanced Computing) and NIC (National Informatics Centre)
- Based on: Ubuntu Linux
- Focus: Security and Reliability
- Key features:
- Designed to be more resistant to cyberattacks compared to Windows or macOS
- Uses full disk encryption, intrusion detection and sandboxing for enhanced security
- Rigorously tested for stability
- Locally developed, reducing dependence on foreign software
Maya OS is currently being used by the Indian Defence Ministry and is planned for adoption by the Army, Navy and Air Force. The user interface is designed to be similar to Windows, making it easier for users to switch over.
Why Maya OS is under consideration
Two days ago, due to a Microsoft Cloud outage, almost 70% of the internet-based systems of the world came to a complete standstill. This happened due to a software update from Microsoft. Due to this crowd strike there was a loss of hundreds of billions of dollars in the entire world. Moreover, everything was stopped in a large part of the entire world. According to IT and cyber experts, 70% of the operating systems in the modern world are still from Microsoft.
In such a situation, the discussion has now started on whether different countries of the world will launch their operating systems. Indigenous operating system Maya OS has already been launched in India. Although it has not yet become fully popular among the people. According to experts, this is the right time to launch our operating system.
Cyber experts opinion
Cyber experts in the country say that the way Crowdstrike created an outcry in the entire world. Due to this, preparations have started in India to bring the entire industry on their self-made operating system.
Himanshu Sharma, a software engineer working in New York, America, says that the maximum dependence in the whole world is still on Microsoft’s operating system. Almost 70% of the computers in the world still have Microsoft operating systems. Whereas about 20% use the iOS or Mac operating system. Whereas countries like China and Russia mostly use their self-made operating systems. Himanshu says that different countries of the world are still completely dependent on the American operating system. If this dependency is switched to indigenous operating systems, a major “digital tsunami” like the Crowdstrike that happened on July 19 can be avoided.
Software engineer and cyber expert Deenbandhu Verma says that India has its own “Maya” operating software. He says that this is a software which has been designed with many types of security layers. It has antimalware and antivirus software, which also creates a strong security layer between netizens and the internet. In such a situation, the possibility of any kind of breach in this operating system or any major cloud outage becomes equal to zero. Cyber experts suggest replacing Microsoft with Maya OS at regular intervals in our country. Following the recent crowd strike incident it would be a significant step towards enhancing cybersecurity in the future.
Preparation to launch Maya OS
Now it is estimated that after the “digital tsunami” that occurred on July 19, readiness will be shown to advance its indigenous operating system, Maya. If officials associated with the Central Government are to be believed, discussions have taken place on a large scale in this direction. It is believed that if everything progresses in an orderly manner, it will be taken forward in the coming days. Besides, there is also talk of starting work on a large scale towards developing some other operating systems.
Cyber expert Devesh Dhawan says that the only country that has survived completely in this entire devastation is Russia. Dhawan says that due to various restrictions, neither Russians can use Microsoft cloud services nor can Russian commercial and intelligence equipment be accessed through American operating systems. Furthermore, in such circumstances, Russia saved itself from such a big digital tsunami by developing its operating system. Moreover, Devesh Dhawan believes that it can create bad situations like an epidemic of major cyber attacks in the coming days. Therefore, it is better that we have to strengthen our systems from now on to avoid any such major cyber attack.
Ashish Singh, a cyber expert working in a multinational company in Bengaluru, says that there is a need to replace traditional operating systems. Maya OS is the best option. He says that Maya OS has not yet been taken forward that much. He believes that there may be some technical level problems in the initial phase. But when it is started in a phased manner, it will be able to replace the Microsoft operating system.
India has already Indigenous operating systems
We already have the operating system ready. There is only a need to implement it rapidly and systematically in the country. Cyber expert Anand Sachan says that India not only has the Maya OS. But earlier BOSS (Bharat Operating System Solution) was also developed. This operating system developed in 2021 was implemented in the initial phase, but then it could not be taken forward. But launched with the new Maya OS in mid-2023. According to cyber experts, its results have also been positive.
Devesh Dhawan states that if the central government takes this matter seriously, any future cyber attacks can be avoided. He says that not only did Russia save itself from this big attack on July 19, but China also saved its existing systems by using its operating system. He believes that after this incident, all those capable countries will move forward. They will implement their operating systems. Countries will implement those that have their operating systems. Those countries that are on the verge of developing their systems may consider.