Cabinet approves cybersecurity agreement with Japan

New Delhi, Oct 8: With cyber threats being major concerns, the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given its approval for signing a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) in the field of cybersecurity between India and Japan. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Japanese counterpart Toshemitsu Motegi welcomed the finalization of the text of the cybersecurity agreement with an aim to enhance the need for robust and resilient digital and cyber systems, recognizing the increasing role being played by digital technologies.

 

 

"The agreement promotes cooperation in capacity building, research, and development, security and resilience in the areas of Critical Information Infrastructure, 5G, Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), among others." This was one of the major takeaways from External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s meeting with Japanese Foreign minister Toshemitsu Motegi in Tokyo.

 

The MoC will enhance cooperation in areas of mutual interest, which include inter-alia, capacity building in the area of cyberspace, protection of critical infrastructure; cooperation in emerging technologies, and sharing information on cybersecurity threats/incidents and malicious cyber activities. IN addition to this, it will also boost best practices to counter them and developing joint mechanisms for practical cooperation to mitigate cyber threats to the security of Information Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure, etc.

 

India and Japan are committed to "an open, interoperable, free, fair, secure and reli­able cyberspace environment and to promote the Internet as an engine of innova­tion, economic growth, and trade and commerce that would be consistent with their respective domestic laws and international obligations, and with their wide-ranging strategic partnership."

Both the countries affirmed cooperation in the international arena including in the United Nations - discussing and sharing strategies and best practices to promote the integrity of the supply chain of ICT products, strengthening the security of ICT infrastructure through Government-to-Government and Business-to-Business cooperation, continuing dialogue and engagement in Internet governance fora, and to support active participation by all the stakeholders of the two countries in these fora.