According to union communications and information technology ministry, there will be a demand of 4.7 lakh cyber security professionals by 2015 for protection of IT infrastructure in the country as well as to serve the export market.

"Taking into account the requirement emerging for protection of information technology infrastructure in the country as well as to serve the export market, a demand for 4.7 lakh cyber security professionals has been estimated by the year 2015," minister of state for communications and IT Milind Deora said in a written reply in Rajya Sabha on Friday.

He said a number of attempts of cyber attacks of various natures are being observed on the IT infrastructure deployed in various sectors of economy including national security in the country from different sources.

"The cyber warfare is indeed emerging as one of the major challenges for all the nations," Deora said.

In order to bolster the country's e-defence, the government has taken several steps to train law enforcement agencies in cyber crime investigations and cyber forensic.

The ministry of home affairs is supporting the establishment of cyber crime police stations and cyber crime investigations and forensic training facilities in each state under police modernisation scheme.

Action also has been taken to set up a National Centre of Excellence exclusively devoted to render cyber forensic services and to act as national research and training centre on cyber forensics, Deora added.

"A programme has also been initiated for indigenous development of cyber forensic tools and setting up of infrastructure for training of law enforcement agencies and judiciary on the procedures and methodology of collecting, analysing and presenting digital evidence," Deora said.