United Kingdom and India agree to join forces in strengthening cybersecurity measures
Prime Minister David Cameron is currently in India, leading a trade delegation, and discussions about cyber security have taken centre stage. During his meetings with Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh, both leaders agreed to set up an information sharing initiative for exchanging data on cyber threats.
The UK is planning to improve the security of UK data held by Indian companies, and this initiative will allow the two nations to exchange data on emerging cyber threats. In a bid to strengthen this cooperation, David Cameron briefed journalists on the plans to bolster the security of UK data in India.
In contrast, the UK government has welcomed £1.3 billion of inward investment from Huawei, despite the Indian government banning Huawei and ZTE from government contracts due to "security concerns". India is developing a new national cyber security strategy, and in the coming weeks, new government agencies specifically tasked with overseeing cybersecurity will be established.
The National Security Council of India is expected to announce new bodies for cyber security, including a National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre and several sector-specific Computer Emergency Readiness Teams (CERTs). These agencies will play a crucial role in safeguarding India's digital assets.
Meanwhile, Britain has competitive and technological advantages in the area of cyber security. As such, securing data in other countries is essential for securing UK data. In this regard, NASSCOM, the Indian IT industry's trade body, has called for specific allocations to cyber security in the government's forthcoming budget.
The number of people arrested under India's Information Technology Act more than doubled to 980 in 2010, according to the National Crime Records Bureau, highlighting the growing importance of cyber security in India.
The news of the UK-India cyber security initiative was reported by Bloomberg, underscoring the global significance of this partnership. As both nations continue to collaborate on this front, they aim to foster a safer and more secure digital environment for their citizens and businesses.
