Decoding Cyber Sovereignty with Pukhraj Singh

Interview by Bharath Pottekkat
Edited by Malavika VN

The past few years have witnessed a change in the way countries attempt to govern the vast, deep and decentralized cyber space. In the midst of large-scale disinformation campaigns threatening the very existence of public institutions, this need to govern stems from very real issues. Yet, the way we choose to do it is as vital in order to maintain the social contract between our society and the State. Regulations without a profound understanding and examination of the workings and meaning behind the cyber realm could leave us in a dire position. With this in mind, in this interview, we speak to Pukhraj Singh to explore four key questions that are critical to both our virtual and physical existence in the backdrop of national sovereignty based cyber regulations. These are as follows:

1. What is cyber sovereignty? What are the different models that exist?

2. What is the relationship between cyber sovereignty & the State?

3. What has India dealt with cyber sovereignty?

4. What is the role of data localization in cyber sovereignty?

Pukhraj Singh is a cyber threat intelligence analyst who has worked with Government agencies, global response teams and start-ups in Canada, Israel, India, Malaysia and the US.