US, India, Taiwan representatives collaborate on Cybersecurity workshop

India's former National Cyber Security Coordinator Lt. Gen. Rajesh Pant said that with over 800 million internet users and 1.2 billion smart phones, cybersecurity is a major part of national security

Amid the growing challenges in the field of cybersecurity, a joint workshop was convened under the Global Cooperation and Training Framework (GCTF) on Monday, said the US embassy in India in an official press statement on Monday.

During the workshop, representatives from the United States, India, and Taiwan are meeting on December 11-12 to deepen operational expertise and share best practises on cybersecurity issues.

The event has been co-hosted by the U.S. Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti, Taiwan's Representative to India Baushuan Ger, former National Cyber Security Coordinator of India Lt. Gen Rajesh Pant, and the United Service Institution of India, which represented the first in-person GCTF programme held in India under the Global Cooperation and Training Framework (GCTF).

Ambassador Eric Garcetti said, "The United States is committed to working closely with partners like India and Taiwan to enhance cybersecurity and protect our shared interests in the digital space. When we connect, protect, and detect with technology, instead of fearing what it can do to divide or oppress us, we can take full advantage of the nearly limitless potential that these advances will bring."

During the meeting, Taiwan's Representative to India, Baushuan Ger, highlighted GCTF's importance as a platform to utilise Taiwan's strengths and expertise to address issues of global concern.

Moreover, India's former National Cyber Security Coordinator Lt. Gen. Rajesh Pant, said for India, with over 800 million internet users and 1.2 billion smart phones, cybersecurity is a major part of national security.

As per the US Embassy press statement, since its launch in 2015, the GCTF has held 70 international workshops with participation from over 120 countries to strengthen connections among experts on such topics as public health, supply chains, humanitarian assistance, digital health and other regional issues.

The United States, Taiwan, the Australian Office, Taipei, and the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association jointly administer the GCTF, which serves as a platform for Taiwan to share its expertise with partners around the world.

The United States looks forward to continued collaboration with India, Taiwan, and like-minded partners to tackle shared challenges.

The embassy said, "Taiwan has world-class experts in a wide variety of fields, including public health, law enforcement, disaster relief, energy cooperation, women's empowerment, digital economy and cyber security, media literacy, and good governance."

However, because many international institutions do not allow Taiwan to participate, Taiwan's experts are not able to share their knowledge. The GCTF allows practitioners from around the world to learn what Taiwan has to offer and to strengthen connections between experts in different countries as they tackle 21st-century problems that do not respect borders, embassy said.