Dr Madan Mohan Oberoi an IPS officer, who currently works as the director of Cyber Innovation and Outreach with Interpol's Global Complex for Innovation (IGCI) in Singapore is in India as part of the International Conference on Cyberlaw, Cybercrime and Cybersecurity. He recently spoke to DNA on the global trends in cybercrime, to concerns that need to be addressed while drafting policies on cybersecurity, and the fine balance required to maintain a balance between individual privacy and national security. Excerpts:
Dr Madan Mohan Oberoi an IPS officer, who currently works as the director of Cyber Innovation and Outreach with Interpol's Global Complex for Innovation (IGCI) in Singapore is in India as part of the International Conference on Cyberlaw, Cybercrime and Cybersecurity. He recently spoke to DNA on the global trends in cybercrime, to concerns that need to be addressed while drafting policies on cybersecurity, and the fine balance required to maintain a balance between individual privacy and national security. Excerpts:
What are the most prominent problems faced by India in cybersecurity which includes cyberterrorism?
Enforcement agencies across the world face problems with interoperability -- with different jurisdictions, laws and procedures. Working together is a huge challenge. There's also the need for strengthening capacity. The problem is that even if one jurisdiction is willing to help but does not have the requisite capability, the investigation suffers. There is need to build minimum capability, because a single island of insufficient capacity can be misused by criminals. Cybersecurity is an area where information is scattered with different stakeholders and most of the information is with the private sector. So, law and order and academia must collaborate to put the pieces of the puzzle together. Providing a platform for investigations with global jurisdictions also remains a problem. Additionally, law enforcement must have resource support from academia, strategy support and a robust forensic support.
Cybersecurity policies in India are at a nascent stage. What are the key concerns that need to be kept in mind?
Cybersecurity concerns are similar to those of terrorism. You cannot afford to have a reactive approach, wherein one acts only after a crime or terrorist incident has occurred. What is needed is an intelligence-led proactive approach. In many countries, the problem with law enforcement agencies is that they are in a reactive mode. The need to get out and collect intelligence so that they are not dependent on another entity. You need to anticipate what crime will be committed, and then take proactive action. Otherwise, enforcement agencies will solve terrorist cases by busting modules through intelligence
What are the big threats currently in the global cybercrime scenario?
Traditionally, there has always been an overemphasis on building defences in the area of cybersecurity. But safety comes with deterrents that come from successful prosecutions. When a criminal fears punishment, he will stop. Globally, in the area of cybersecurity, because of inherent problems, there have not been too many successful prosecutions. This needs to be corrected.
Have there been any cybersecurity breaches emerging out of India that the Interpol has helped investigate recently?
We are a global-coordination body and we help law enforcement agencies across 190 member countries on different requests providing them with information. We work on the principle that we will not carry out surveillance or monitor anything specifically. We have coordinated with Indian agencies on cybercrime issues routinely. The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) brought out a report in late 2015 that talked of the use of crypto currencies like bitcoins for syndicate crimes like money laundering and exchange among criminals. In that, they mentioned the potential for the usage of bitcoins for terrorism purposes.
There's always concern for privacy when dealing with surveillance cases. Where does one draw the line?
That's a serious concern globally. Governments must realise there needs to be a balance and that no right is absolute. Even the right to life is not absolute, because of the existence of death penalties. Under special circumstances, certain rights can be withdrawn. There needs to be a balance between individual privacy and national security, and to what level individual privacy can be breached to safeguard national security.
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