India steps up IT security after major breach
Hacking is an emerging problem in this increasingly tech-happy country; laptops and Bluetooth-enabled phones are now banned from sensitive government offices; biometric authentication now mandatory for all classified computers
International investors take note: The Indian government has prohibited the use of laptops, Palm Pilots, and Bluetooth-enabled phones in the wake of a major security breach as the country’s National Security Council Secretariat. Hacking is a growing problem in India, as authorities report that more than 4,000 Indian Web sites have been compromised in the past year, more than a third more than the year previous, and authorities are increasingly worried about the country’s ability to counter the problem.
In addition to banning the devices named above, the government now requires that all classified computers have built-in biometric authentication systems, and all classified documents must be overwritten at least seven times to be considered fully deleted. All this is bad news for the Indian government, which should be expected to increase IT spending considerably in the future, but good news for investors and IT companies looking to expand their international portfolios.
-read more in this UPI report
