Govt to set up public-private JWG on cyber security

NEW DELHI: India will set up a permanent working group on cyber security with representatives from the government and the private sector to implement the blueprint created to strengthen the country defense against all kinds of cyber attacks, said Shivshankar Menon, the National Security Advisor.

This will be the first time that India will allow participation of the private sector in national security matters. The unique nature of cyberspace and its potential for damage has propelled the government and private sector to work together, Menon said.

"We all have seen social media disseminating information to wreck communal harmony. This kind of phenomenon is something we need to learn to deal with. This is something new. The important thing for a democratic society like us is how to do it while maintaining democratic freedom," he said while highlighting the importance and need for strong cyber security norms.

"If India has to grow its IT industry, we also have to maintain our reputation of being safe, secure partners with whom everybody can work with. We need to be more secure than we are and we have a sense of the kind of steps we need to take for the future," Menon added.

The first steps of implementation will begin with setting up four pilot programs - a testing lab, multi-disciplinary centres of excellence, study of vulnerabilities in sample information infrastructure and conducting regular test audits.

A joint committee on international cooperation and advocacy will advise the JWG to promote India's interests at international forums on cyber security issues.