Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has given a go-ahead for the creation of “cyber-security architecture” within the Intelligence Bureau (IB) that will work independently of the National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO), which works under the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).The wing, which will work under IB, will have a staff of 500 persons, headed by a joint director rank officer.Sources said the Home Minister decided to give a green signal to the creation of the specialised wing on the basis of an in-house analysis and amid perceived threat of “radicalisation of young men” through cyber means.
“IB has a separate wing for cyber-security but the creation of a full-fledged wing is required to tackle loopholes. In the past, we have seen that cyberspace was used to recruit young people to join terrorist outfits like IS. The threat emanating from this medium is imminent and we require a dedicated team to crackdown on it,” said a senior government official. The team will be independent of NTRO, which works under the Cabinet Secretariat. Earlier this year, terming cyber security threat as a “big challenge”, Rajnath had informed Parliament that an expert committee had been set up to suggest ways to tackle the problem. Though the committee was supposed to submit its report by May this year, it has sought an extension.
