India important player in global internet governance, says former deputy NSA Latha Reddy

NEW DELHI: India's position in matters on internet governance is seen with keen interest globally, and going forward, it is important to address critical information infrastructure and capacity building in cybersecurity, said Latha Reddy, former Deputy National Security Advisor of India and Commissioner, Global Commission on Internet Governance.
Speaking at a session on "Securing cyberspace: What is next for India?" at the Observer Research Foundation, Reddy and Israeli cybersecurity expert Gabi Siboni discussed the various steps that have been taken by the Indian government and further course of action to prevent cyber-attacks.

“Gathering intelligence is central to ensuring cybersecurity, and can be done physically or by big data analysis,” said Siboni. Dealing with cybersecurity requires an integrated security approach which includes early warning, prevention, detection, reaction and recovery, he added.

With India’s increased focus on cybersecurity, the former deputy NSA Reddy stressed on the importance of how the internet is regulated and governed here and the changing dynamics of the Internet in India. She hailed communications and information technology minister Ravi Shankar Prasad’s support for the multistakeholder model at the ICANN53, ending a long-standing image of India as a “swing state”, whose stand on the issue was unclear for many years.

The role of private companies in setting up cybersecurity infrastructure within the country was also seen as a step in the right direction. “I believe if you find a trusted company, they can play an important role in cybersecurity,” said Reddy, adding that while some systems are already in place, there is a need to find a more comprehensive model with Indian It players contributing more significantly.

The important thing to remember in cyberspace however, said Siboni, is that attackers have advantage over defenders, and IT companies are being forced to cut down their budgets because of intellectual property concerns. “IT companies' budget for R&D is jeopardised because they have to invest in IP,” he said.