A restrictive export control regime policy by 41 member of the Wassenaar Agreement could limit India’s access to much needed technology that secures its defences against cyber-attacks. In an agreement signed in January 41 members, mostly Western countries, agreed to changes to the Wassenaar Arrangement which could prevent non-member countries like India from gaining access to software items that provide cyber security solutions.
The Wassenaar Arrangement on Export Controls for Conventional Arms and Dual-Use Goods and Technologies is an international agreement geared towards the control and accumulation of arms, ammunitions, and dual-use technologies. The changes were prompted by US agency NSA’s contractor-turned-whistleblower Edward Snowden’s revelations about cyber spying by the US, and the need to keep cyber security tools away from unwanted hands.
Indian officials have voiced their concerns about the changes, and have claimed that Western countries could deny product to Indian organisations, citing security and export control rationale. They, however, stated that they would engage with countries like the US and UK and ask them to take into account India’s genuine security concerns.
Cyber-attacks have been a major concern for the Indian government. In 2013, India released its first National Cyber Security Policy 2013(NSCP). That was followed by guidelines released by the National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Center of the National Technical Research Organization (NTRO), India’s premier technical intelligence agency.
India has been a victim of major cyber-attacks in the past, including an attack on the Indian Navy’s Eastern Command system in June 2012. In July, 2013 around 12,000 system, including a slew of critical networks like that of the Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Home Affairs, Defense Research and Development Organization and the Indo-Tibetan Border Force were targeted. NTRO believed that hackers targeted networks hosting state secrets.
At a time when the new government has committed itself to protecting national interest and security, restrictions on accessibility to cyber security technology will be a major constrain for a country that is becoming increasingly wired and networked.
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