Greater India US Cyber Security Cooperation Anticipated

India and United States (US) are entering into many bilateral agreements regarding issues like homeland security, cyber security, clean energy and so on. US has also recently released its international strategy for cyberspace.

These initiatives would definitely improve the cyberspace cooperation between India and US. However, bilateral agreements can have limited effect on cyberspace. Till now we have no uniformly acceptable treaty or convention on cyber crimes and cyber security.

There are many international organisations and institutions that are dealing with information and communication technology (ICT) in one form or other. However, none of these international organisations are dealing with cyber crimes at the global level. Thus, the establishment of a harmonised international standard for cyberspace is still missing and is the need of the hour.

Meanwhile, Christopher Painter, the State Department Co-coordinator for Cyber Issues, has said that there would be many more meetings with India on cyber security aspect. India and US are deliberating as to how to exchange information, cooperate in securing networks, fight cyber crimes and both countries are working in this direction.

Painter further said the International Strategy for Cyberspace released early this week for the first time pulls together all the different strands of our policies in cyberspace from Internet freedom issues to Internet governance issues, to security issues, to military issues, to cyber crime issues, to economic issues, and puts them really all in one framework for the first time.

However, irrespective what US and India say, global cooperation and collaboration is the first and foremost requirements to have a better cyberspace. At the same time there is no doubt that if India and US work together in this direction, this may be the beginning of creating a global consensus. This dialogue is a good step in the right direction.

International Organisations And Cyber Crimes

Cyberspace has become an important aspect for Policy Formulation and International Commercial Transactions. Internet and E-Governance has become ubiquitous and indispensable these days. With this growth comes the darker side of technology as well.

Cyber Crimes and Cyber Attacks have increased significantly. International Organisations like United Nations, North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), International Telecommunication Union (ITU), etc are involved with Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in one form or other.

However, till now we do not have an Internationally Acceptable Cyber Crime Treaty. For instance, India is not a part of the European Union Convention on Cybercrime. Similarly, there are many countries that are not part of EU Cyber Crime Treaty.

United States has recently suggested that NATO must have an enhanced role in International Cyber Security. US is advocating an expansion of NATO’s “Threat to one is a threat to all” Treaty to Cyberspace as well. US has also formulated its International Strategy for Cyberspace.

Although the suggestion of US is worth considering yet NATO should not be the first platform where International Cyber Crimes and Cyber Security issues should be discussed. It is the United Nations that must be the platform where International issues of Cyber Law, Cyber Crimes and Cyber Security should be discussed.

We at Perry4Law and Perry4Law Techno Legal Base (PTLB) have been suggesting ICT Policies and Strategies in general and need for International Cyber Crime Treaty And International Cyber Security Treaty in particular. These are the issues whose time has come. Let us start the ball rolling.