Amid widespread headlines about cyber warfare and hacking around the world, the U.S. and India have signed an agreement yesterday to allow both nations to coordinate and collaborate on cyber security issues.
The agreement, as reported by The Economic Times, will “allow both the US and India governments and broader cyber security communities in the two countries to coordinate on a broad range of technical and operational cyber issues.”
It is a very much needed agreement, especially considering the recent reports of the widespread use of free webmail services in India’s government. In fact, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh used Microsoft’s Hotmail to issue his statement on the recent Mumbai bombings.
Pawan Duggal, a New Delhi lawyer expressed his disapproval over the situation when speaking with Times of India:
It’s a recipe for disaster. It’s really quite amazing that, as a nation, we haven’t yet woken up to the idea that sensitive government information should be shared through secure channels, not Hotmail or Yahoo.
Back in May we saw Indian and Pakistani hackers exchange attacks on their respective press club websites. And while that was little more than vandalism, such online vulnerabilities are indicative of a more widespread problem that will require organizations and governments to conduct their business in a more secure fashion.
[Photo: internationalaffairs.in]
Stay updated on the go with our mobile app.
Get latest insights with smoother, more personalized experience through TIA mobile app.
