Balance needed between privacy, security: Sibal

NEW DELHI, INDIA: It is necessary to maintain a balance between the needs of privacy of individuals and genuine security concerns of the state while dealing with challenges of cyber security, communications minister Kapil Sibal has said.

The cyber attacks not only come from individuals but also from rival corporate houses and rogue states, said Sibal at the opening session of the summit on information and network security for emerging markets at Helsinki in Finland.

A single malicious malware can bring to halt not only big nuclear plants but also vital activities of financial institutions, which are globally interconnected, he added.

The minister said the expansion in IT network and linked developments have given rise to over-dependency on a network platform, which is coming under attacks of different nature. They are far more dangerous than even terrorist attacks which is posing different challenges in terms of information security.

Speaking on the growth of the telecom service in India, Sibal said the growth has been robust, citing the number of subscribers which rose from 3 million in 2000 to 870 million in 2011.

Sibal also underlined the challenges before the emerging markets which are far more complex as these economies strive to provide basic amenities to their citizens, despite severe handicaps in physical infrastructure.

He added that these developing economies need to leapfrog by absorbing new technologies like data networks to deliver services to citizens without waiting for physical infrastructure to come up to desired levels.

Sibal also invited international companies to invest in manufacturing in India as it will not only help create more employment for vast young population but also give cost advantage to investing companies.