New Delhi: Aware of the activities of the international cybercriminal gangs and their large-scale anti-India activities, the Cyber Diplomacy Division of the External Affairs Ministry has asked the National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIIPC) and the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) to proactively provide regular updates to the division on the incidents that come to their knowledge and their origins so that the information could be leveraged diplomatically at appropriate time and level.
“This proactive approach can also open up opportunities for international collaboration, capacity building and building trust against international cybercriminal gangs,” a senior government official told ETV Bharat on Tuesday. However, the rapid increase of cyber slavery of Indians in Cambodia and Laos has escalated to the highest level, with the Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of External Affairs with Central Intelligence agencies and NIA working together to address this emerging threat to the Indian financial system.
According to data provided by I4C (Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre), cyber gangs operating from Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar have siphoned off over Rs 7,061 crore in public funds in the first four months of this year.
The official said that cyberspace is increasingly becoming important for all countries. “Realising its importance, all the major countries like the USA, Russia, China, the UK, France, Germany, EU, Japan and Brazil deployed large diplomatic teams to safeguard their interests and articulate their views in cyberspace at the international level. The efficiency and effectiveness of the Cyber Diplomacy Division in the Ministry of External Affairs could be increased also by providing enhanced manpower so that it can play a more proactive role globally,” the official stated.
It is worth mentioning that the Cyber Diplomacy Division of the MEA is the nodal point for discussions on cyber security issues, data protection, cybercrime and internet governance in consultation with other Government of India stakeholders like MHA, MEITY, CERT-In, DRDO and CBI.
According to the official, India has proposed to establish a universal directory under the Open-Ended Working Group on Security (OEWG) progress, which could provide information related to initiatives, programmes and points of contact in one place.
“Although, the policy-making in cybercrime is specifically being dealt with by the MHA, the Cyber Diplomacy Division does provide diplomatic support in international forums based on inputs received from the stakeholders. Thus, a proactive approach on both sides is very much essential for India to take the lead role in policy-making factors at the global platform,” the official said.
