GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

Ministry of Communications and Information Technology

(Department of Information Technology)

RAJYASABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.441 TO BE ANSWERED ON: 29.07.2010

Chinese Hackers

441 SHRJ RAJEEV CHANDRASEKHAR:

Will the Minister of Communications and Information Technology be please to state:

(a) whether Government is aware of recent media reports about Chinese hackers reaching websites

              and servers in India;

(b)    if so, the details of the number of defence and national security sites that have been affected;

(c]    whether Government has taken note of the detailed suggestions outlined in my letters dated 30 April, 2008 and 13 August 2008 with respect to cyber security; and

(d)  if so, the steps taken by Government to address the issue?

ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE FOR COMMUNlCATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

(SHRI SACHIN PILOT) .

(a) and (b): The Government is aware of media reports including the recent one titled "Shadows in the Cloud - Investigating Cyber Espionage 2.0" published by the group of researchers from the Munk school of Global Affairs, University of Toronto, Canada. The reports pointed out penetration of the Indian information systems belonging to key Government organizations.

No defence / national security related sites' have been breached by the external attackers. A number of officials of the government establishments had been targeted earlier this year with malicious codes on their Internet facing systems. The signatures of the malicious codes were analyzed and systems targeted were isolated. Such systems were identified much ahead of time and sanitized accordingly.

(c) and (d): Yes, Sir. The Government has taken actions to address the suggested cyber security issues through appropriate identified agencies.