Indian intelligence and security agencies are now fully geared up to go on the offensive in their war against terror even in the cyber world with the National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO) having devised a new strategy to launch a counter cyber attack. It has been noticed in the past that hackers operating out of Pakistan and China having links with terror outfits have been targeting important Indian sites and critical data. The NTRO, which is the sole technical intelligence arm of the government, had been silently working on an ambitious project to not just prepare a foolproof “cyber security plan’’ to ward off a cyber attack but also go on the offensive. Now with this new plan in place, NTRO techies can target any server or computer across the globe, that is being used to launch cyber attack against India, and completely cripple its functioning.
“Such servers and computers will be down for long if they try and target our important sites. We are trying to fine-tune this new mechanism so that the duration of crippling such hostile servers and computers can be increased,” a senior security official pointed out.
Highly-placed government sources said the Cabinet Committee on Security will soon discuss this new NTRO initiative and finalise the future road map for the organisation in securing highly classified government information which is prone to cyber attacks.
Top intelligence functionaries admit that cyber technology has given a clear edge to militant outfits. But, sources added, the Indian agencies are now fully equipped to keep all terror related activities on the cyber world under constant surveillance.
What in effect this means is that any email, online financial transactions or fund transfers and use of Voice Over Internet Protocal (VoIPs) and other similar cyber tools used terrorist organisations can now be tracked instantly.
“We are almost at par with countries like America or European nations in dealing with cyber security particularly on terror issues. We have shared vital terror related information with the foreign agencies particularly on transfer of funds by Hafiz Saeed and Jamaat-ud-Dawa,’’the official added.
Sources also added that a special unit has been carved out within the NTRO which is now working on securing all infrastructure projects related sites and data.