Unregulated Indian Cyber Actors serving Middle East may impact undue drain of technology and intelligence
As per report ‘India Cybersecurity Industry Report Services & Product Growth Story’ published by Data Security Council of India (DSCI), Indian Cyber Industry draws its second major revenue from Asia and Middle East and Africa (MEA). There is a huge demand of Cyber experts that is been fulfilled by Indian talent pool. On one hand this data provides a great motivational boost to the Indian Cyber industry however there is an underlying threat that is being ignored.
India has a strong and emergent stake in gulf stability, from ‘strategic Partnership’ to countering issues related to terrorism and Cyber warfare. With the growing competition in Cyber space, India is preparing to enlarge its intelligence network with the help of Cyber Private Firms.
India is yet to be called a developed nation that has enough Cyber regulations to protect the misuse of outsourced technology. In such a situation a backdoor open to drain of intelligence and critical technology is largely missed by the regulatory authorities.
There are already enough instances that suggests that intelligence services are being offered by Indian companies like Phronesis (Brig.Ram Chillar), Aglaya (Ankur Srivastava), Secfence Technologies (Atul Agarwal), Stratign (alias Shoghi Communications), Clear Trail technologies to Middle East nations. This suggests that there high possibility that critical intelligence and technology is been flowing to Middle East unregulated through these service providers directly or indirectly.
Apart from the above mentioned companies Kommlabs Dezign Private Limited and Vehere are other companies that claim to provide surveillance and intercept solutions to foreign nations.
It looks like Indian Cyber capabilities are not limited to its boundaries which are good for private players, they are expanding their markets but relatively threatening for security agencies.
By expanding business in surveillance technologies outside the borders, India is exposing its critical capabilities with Middle East both overt as well as covertly which may not prove favorable in long- run as it may increase the chances of drainage in their own intelligence and technologies.
Already, India is placed among the third tier countries in the field of Cyber warfare capabilities but continuing the unregulated flow of technology may worsen its position on both regional and global fronts.
