India's security track record good: Nasscom

BANGALORE: Although the Indian call centers' security processes and controls are in place, ensuring that individual employees do not commit fraud of any kind, is something that calls for immediate attention.

This week, UK's Sun tabloid claims to have exposed a security lapse through its own 'sting operation.' A journalist from the newspaper said he had obtained account numbers, credit card details, secret passwords of around 1000 British bank customers from an employee of Delhi-based Infinity e-Systems, by paying $5000 for the information.

However, India's IT trade body Nasscom yesterday said that it would continue to ensure stronger security controls in the industry. Nasscom president Kiran Karnik said during a television interview that, the incident would not affect the Indian BPO industry adversely as India's track record in terms of security has been the best so far compared to many other outsourcing destinations.

The association said in a statement that, its member companies are strong upholders of data privacy and have been continuously strengthening both the legal and enforcement framework for data protection.

Nasscom further assured that it will work with the legal authorities in the UK and India to ensure that those responsible for any criminal breaches are promptly prosecuted and face the maximum penalty.

The association had recently decided to set up a national registry of employees as a step towards tightening security.

Reacting to the news, Indian Minister for IT and Communications Dayanidhi Maran said that this is an exception to the BPO industry. “We should not make a mountain out of a molehill. These things (credit card frauds) happen in the US regularly. This is between the two companies and as and when it comes into our jurisdiction we will take action.”

The latest scandal, follows the MphasiS case where some BPO employees were caught for illegal withdrawing of funds from Citibank customers.

The Sun expose' which has been highlighted in many major newspapers in the UK could cause some concern among the outsourcing community.

An article in the Financial Times in London stated that three British banks with operations in India, Barclays, HSBC, and Lloyds TSB, said they were taking the allegations seriously.