[ISN] Bit by bit, India begins raising data security standards

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Infotech/Internet-/Bit-by-bit-India-begins-raising-data-security-standards/articleshow/4452745.cms

By Joji Thomas Philip
ET Bureau
27 Apr 2009

NEW DELHI: India seems to have woken up to the poor standards of its 
data security, with the government seeking help from telecom companies, 
software makers and internet service providers (ISPs) to frame 
regulations and raise encryption levels, a measure of data security.

Recommendations from market and banking regulators to step up data 
security may have prompted the move, along with improved technological 
capabilities of the country’s intelligence agencies to monitor data 
exchanges.

Encryption means converting data and emails into codes that travel 
through the network and later get reassembled into the original form.

The government seeks to raise encryption levels from the present 40 bits 
to 128 bits, before eventually moving to 256 bits, which is the standard 
in Europe and the US. A higher encryption level will ensure more secure 
financial transactions on personal computers and cell phones. It is also 
vital for protection from hackers.

Most western countries do not allow financial transactions on the 
internet through computers and mobile handsets, if the encryption level 
is less than 128 bits.

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