Govt approves National Security Directive on telecom sector, to declare list of trusted sources
Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said that telecom service providers are required to connect new devices which are designated trusted products. Union Minister for Law & Justice, Communications and Electronics & Information Technology, Ravi Shankar Prasad held a press conference on Cabinet Decisions, in New Delhi on Wednesday. (ANI Photo)
Share
Updated: Dec 16, 2020, 08:11 PM IST
In a move to enhance national security, the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) has accorded approval for the National Security Directive on Telecommunication sector under which the government will declare a list of trusted sources, trusted products for the benefit of telecom service providers to maintain the integrity of the supply chain security.
India approves game-changing framework against cyber threats daijiworld.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from daijiworld.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Highlights
The Designated Authority will make its determination based on the approval of a committee headed by Deputy NSA
The committee will consist of members from relevant departments/Ministries and will also have two members from the industry and an independent expert
The Committee will be called ‘National Security Committee on Telecom (NSCT)
New Delhi: In a significant Cabinet decision on Wednesday (December 16), the government gave approval for National Security Directive on Telecommunication Sector. This step has been taken to strengthen national security and further Atmanirbhar Bharat objectives including through the involvement of all stakeholders within government and in the private sector.
Govt issues national security directives on telecom, only trusted equipment to be acquired for 5G
Govt issues national security directives on telecom, only trusted equipment to be acquired for 5G
Under the provisions of the Directive, in order to maintain integrity of the supply chain security and to discourage insecure equipment in the network, the govt will declare a list of trusted sources/trusted products .
advertisement
Representational image.
Against the backdrop of over 7 lakh cyberattacks in the last year, the central government today issued the National Security Directive on Telecommunication Sector for the protection of India s essential national security interests.
Most countries have negative lists, a senior government official said. We are not building walls. We will have a gate, open for all trusted firms, he added. That way, weeks after the banning of Chinese apps, there will be no reference to any country or firm. There won t be any need, for instance, to ban a Chinese firm.
After the list is ready, products from the designated firms can be purchased by telecom service providers. But there is a need for mandatory replacement or changes in maintenance contracts. The firms that will be allowed in will be called Indian Trusted Sources and the government policy will come into force 180 days after it is finalized.