India and the US on Tuesday signed an agreement on cybersecurity to further intensify information exchange on threats to computers and networks and initiate joint work on technologies against cyber-attacks.
A joint statement on the India-US strategic dialogue has announced the cybersecurity agreement among new initiative by the two countries. These initiatives also include a plan to develop a software platform to make available non-sensitive government data to the public and to award $3 million each year to entrepreneurial projects that commercialise technologies to improve health.
India, US CERT MoU soon
News daily Telegraph reported that a memorandum of understanding between the Indian and the American Computer Emergency Response Teams (CERT) is expected to lead to routine exchange of information on vulnerabilities and co-operation on cybersecurity technologies, Indian CERT officials said.
“This comes at a time when cybersecurity-related incidents are increasing in number and becoming more and more sophisticated,” said Gulshan Rai, director-general of the Indian CERT, a division of the ministry of communications and information technology.
Rai said the MoU is expected to lead to greater exchange of information between Indian and US CERTs about known and emerging threats, specific vulnerabilities of computers and networks and open opportunities for joint technology development.
151 Computer Threats Reported
The CERTs track and catalogue threats, advocate protective mechanisms, and respond to attacks on computer systems in the two countries. The latest monthly security bulletin from India’s CERT says 151 computer security-related incidents were reported during May 2011 alone, among which more than half involved “phishing” – an attack or an intrusion that involves some form of identity theft.
Last year, unidentified hackers, believed to be based in China, had penetrated computers in sensitive Indian government offices, including the National Security Council secretariat, and stolen documents on missiles, and personal and financial data of Indian officials, said Telegraph.
India already has cybersecurity pacts, primarily for the exchange of information, with Japan and Korea and is planning to develop one with Finland, Rai told The Telegraph. The cybersecurity pact followed consultations led by the Indian and the US National Security Councils on prospects for bilateral co-operation on cybersecurity issues, held on Monday, a joint statement on the India-US strategic dialogue said.