The government will soon establish two separate regulatory agencies for coordinating all telecom security-related initiatives to shield India’s telephone networks from possible cyber attacks, as per an internal communication in telecom department.
The Telecom Commission, the highest decision-making body in the communications ministry, is slated to clear the formation of a Telecom Security Directorate (TSD) and a National Telecom Network Security Coordination Board (NTNSCB) to frame standards and procedures for testing network gear and monitoring implementation of the telecom security policy.
At present, telecom security issues are handled in a piecemeal manner by multiple central agencies, cutting across the ministry of communications & IT and ministry of home affairs and even the Prime Minister’s Office. The latest move aims at consolidating execution of the government’s telecom security plan. According to the proposal in the note, TSD will primarily coordinate work relating to security policy and project execution, while NTNSCB will be “an oversight body” that will suggest ways to address telecom security issues in future and also monitor implementation of the new standards.
