Cyber security: Why Indo-US tie-up is necessary

When it comes to cyber security, both India and the US share the same concrns -- Pakistani and Chinese espionage and this is exactly why America needs to build up partnership with India, feels experts.

"One of the things that works in our favour is they (Indians) aren't particularly friends with the Chinese all the time, and they worry a lot about it,” James Lewis, Director and Senior Fellow, Centre for Strategic International Studies' Technology and Public Policy Programme, told lawmakers in Washington.

“So we have an opportunity to work with India. The thing we have to avoid in doing that is giving the impression that we're trying to contain China," he said.

"The Chinese worry about this a lot.

“We do need to build up partnership with India, but we have to do it in a way that doesn't appear to be deliberately trying to contain China," Lewis said in response to a question during a hearing of the Asia and the Pacific Subcommittee of the House Foreign Affairs Committee on 'Asia:

The Cyber Security Battleground'.

Karl Rauscher, Chief Technology Officer and Distinguished Fellow, at the East West Institute, said New Delhi's decision to create this National Cyber Coordination Centre is in the right direction.

Noting that India is recognised as the leading producer of international spam, he said: "Their co-ordination with external experts to root out these botnets and sources of spam is really critical not only for India but for the rest of the world, particularly English-speaking countries."

Lewis’ views are endorsed by Congressman Steve Chabot, who said, "Cooperation with India is an important aspect of US efforts to rebound towards Asia, especially in regards to trade and military cooperation."