Framework in place for network security: DoT to PMO

The Telecom Ministry has informed the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) that it has put in place the required legal as well as monitoring framework with regard to security of imported telecom equipment.

The PMO had sought an update from the telecom ministry on steps taken to address security concerns arising from import of telecom equipment.

The request was sent on December 5, and followed an earlier communication from the home ministry, which had sought a compliance report from the telecom department on a new security framework unveiled in June for vendors and mobile phone companies.

To address the security concerns related to telecom and telecom network, licence amendments have been issued on May 5, 2011, for access service licences and later on June 3, 2011 for other licences, according to an internal note in Department of Telecommunications (DoT).

"Through these licence amendments, it is mandated that licensee shall induct only those netwrok elements into his network, which have been got tested as per relevant contemporary Indian or international security standards by any international agency/labs for respective standards until March 31, 2011. From April 1, 2013 the certification shall be got done only from authorised and certified agencies in India," the note added.

Further, a pliot project has already been set up at Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore, to develop the test standards, procedures and test tolls to test the telecom equipment, the note said.

"The department's note has been approved on June 16, 2011 for centre for comunication security research and monitoring consisting of centralised monitoring system for lawful interpretation and monitoring and... 'Telecom Testing and Security Certification.' It is for development of security standards, procedures and test tools for security testing of telecom equipment," the note said.

Last week, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said that security concerns over imported telecom gear have been high on the government's priority. He had warned that dependence on imports could impact the country's strategic and security interests.

India is the world's largest market for international vendors — the market for telecom equipment is expected to grow from $12.5 billion in 2009-10 to $40 billion in 2020, according to telecom regulator Trai.