Indian cabinet approves cyber security deal with UAE

The agreement would pave the way for both countries cooperating mutually in combating cyber crime, particularly through coordination and exchange of information in relation with cyber crime and training in cyber crime investigation, an official statement said.

The Indian union cabinet on Thursday accorded approval to the Memorandum of Understanding, or MoU between India and the UAE on technical cooperation in cyber space and combating cyber crime. The MoU was signed last month between the two countries.

The agreement would pave the way for both countries cooperating mutually in combating cyber crime, particularly through coordination and exchange of information in relation with cyber crime and training in cyber crime investigation, an official statement said.

The ministry of home affairs will be the nodal agency on the Indian side responsible for the implementation of this agreement. "The enhancement of technical cooperation between India and the UAE in cyber space and combating cyber crime comes in the wake of the serious threat of cyber crime on the security, interest and safety of the people," the statement said.

Kaspersky Lab, world's fastest-growing cybersecurity company is ranked among the world's top four vendors of security solutions for endpoint users. Mohammad Amin Hasbini, senior security researcher, Kaspersky Lab, said: "The danger of nation state cyber-attacks cannot be taken lightly. With higher dependence on the internet, determined  attackers pose serious threat to governments worldwide. Given that the cyber landscape is evolving at an astonishing pace, we are pleased that governments are realising the need to combat the threat at the highest levels. This agreement between the governments of India and the UAE is extremely encouraging and a firm step in the right direction. It reaffirms the need for countries to come together and pool their resources, expertise and intelligence in dealing with a threat that has become prevalent in the region and will only deepen in intensity in the years to come."

Kaspersky recently expanded its enterprise portfolio with the launch of Security Intelligence Services  - a diverse set of services - aimed at faster sharing of leading security expertise and transforming knowledge into protection for its clients. Aimed primarily at Security Operation Centers, personnel of large businesses and Service Providers, Security Intelligence Services include threat data feeds and intelligence reporting, security awareness programs and training for professionals, specialist services such as penetration testing, and application security assessment.

Raytheon Company, with 2015 sales of $23 billion and 61,000 employees, is a technology and innovation leader specialising in defense, civil government and cybersecurity solutions is equipping UAE with solutions to handle challenges posed by cybercrimes. Christopher J. Davis, President of Raytheon in the UAE who was attending  recently held UAE Security Forum focusing on cybersecurity talent gap hosted by Raytheon Company and Arab Gulf States Institute of Washington in Capital, said: " We have seen in recent years, cyber warfare and cyber crime are on the rise, and present a global challenge. The protection of data demands strong cyber security. The expansion of eGovernment in the UAE makes the need for cyber security intuitive. In the 21st century cyber security is increasingly becoming synonymous with national and global security as a whole."

sandhya@khaleejtimes.com