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India scouts for foreign Web security technology

Pramod Mahajan, India's Information Technology Minister, told Parliament on Thursday that he would approach countries with Web security technology to repel computer hackers on Indian Web sites.

"Several Indian Web sites have been affected by the activities of hackers, leading to the closure of many," Mahajan said.

"If there are advanced technologies available with some countries to prevent hacking, we will approach them," he added.

He said the government was keen to raise Web security on 'sensitive networks' related to science, technology and defence.

India's 520-member National Association of Software and Service Companies, or NASSCOM, said that it had received reports of attacks on 121 Indian Web sites in the past year.

Mahajan said this was only the tip of the iceberg. "At present there is no system that can be used to prevent this problem," he said.

"In the absence of a formal mechanism, most victims do not even come forward to report incidents of hacking."

The minister said it was difficult to trace hackers as they generally operated 'under fictitious names or dormant sites.'

He said it was not practical for 'a single government' to fight cyber crime and urged India to work in tandem with other countries to tackle the issue head-on.

Mahajan is set to introduce India's Information Technology Bill for ratification in this session of Parliament. It has already been cleared by the cabinet.

The bill, which aims to provide a legal framework for electronic communication, trade and commerce, also defines cyber crimes and lays down penalty provisions.

According to the bill, anyone found to be wrongfully accessing computer data will be guilty of committing a cyber crime.

The first offence will carry a fine of Rs 25,000 rupees or imprisonment, which may extend to two years. Subsequent offences carry a penalty of up to five years in jail and a fine of over Rs 50,000.

On an average, Indian Web sites spend less than 0.1 per cent of their total expenditure on security, as against 5 per cent in the developed countries.