India important in fight against cyber crime: Hague

British Foreign Secretary William Hague has described India as an important partner in the fight against cyber terrorism as he announced the launch of a global centre for cyber security to deal with online threats.

"There is lots of important work to be done with India on the issue of cyber terrorism," he said yesterday while announcing the launch of a new Global Centre for Cyber Security and Capacity Building based at the University of Oxford."We are dedicating 500,000 pounds per year to this centre to be a beacon of expertise and put the UK at the forefront of cyber policy development," Hague told reporters at a briefing in relation to the two-day G8 foreign ministers meeting being hosted by him in London from today.

The centre's research will help define global priorities for capacity building and it will work with a wide range of partners, including other governments, international organisations and the private sector, to ensure increased and more effective efforts against the wide range of cyber issues and threats.

"Capacity includes having comprehensive national programmes and policies, cooperation, skills and workforce, technology and expertise to tackle online threats and reduce harm, while ensuring cyberspace supports innovation, economic growth and social benefits."The range and depth of capacity required here and in other countries is considerable," Francis Maude, minister for cyber security in the UK Cabinet Office, added.
 

The UK has committed a 2 million pounds annual fund from the National Cyber Security Programme to promote global efforts in the field and the establishment of the new centre is a key element of the country's contribution to international efforts.
 

The issue of cyber security will feature heavily during the discussions of the G8 foreign ministers, which include ministers from the US, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Russia.