International community is taking cyber
security
very seriously. Even NATO
had requested cyber security cooperation from India.
Indian
cyber security and international cooperation
must be
rejuvenated in the context of contemporary developments. Keeping this
is mind, the Indo
US cyber security relationship needs improvements.
United States is presently engaged in
serious cyber
security initiatives at national and international levels. At the
national level, the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act
(CISPA) has been proposed to be enacted. It is claimed that CISPA
would boost the cyber security capabilities of US.
However, the US White House has issued
a dissenting
Statement
of Administration Policy on Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection
Act (CISPA). After reading various media reports
and
dissenting opinion, one may ponder whether CISPA
really a remedy or a bad idea.
Meanwhile, India has its own share of
problems.
Unable to deal with the technology and foreign
technology companies, Facebook,
Google, etc may be forced to install servers in India.
Even the foreign
direct investment (FDI) issues have also been
impacted by
the national security concerns. FDI
in telecom sector of India may be modified by the national security
requirements of India.
In the recent past, the India
US cyber security cooperation agreement was signed.
It was
a part of broader India
US homeland security dialogue to boost counter
terrorism
and cyber security capabilities. Similarly, US has already made clear
its international
strategy for cyberspace. Even the White
House is mulling federal cyber security law.
However, international organisations
must play a
more
direct and pro active role to fight cyber
crimes. This is
more so when we have no universally acceptable international
cyber law treaty and international
cyber security treaty. This is resulting in conflict
of laws in cyberspace and India is getting
impatient in this regard.
If US India cyber security cooperation
has to be
successful, both India and US must sort out many crucial differences.
The sooner it is done the better it would be for the interests of
both countries.
.jpg)
