New Delhi: India and the US have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to enhance cooperation in investigating cyber crimes, which will allow agencies from the two sides to step up collaboration and training.
The MoU was signed by India’s ambassador to the US, Vinay Kwatra, and Kristie Canegallo, the acting deputy secretary of the United States homeland security investigations, in Washington on Friday, the external affairs ministry said.
“The MoU allows the respective agencies of the two countries to step up the level of cooperation and training with respect to the use of cyber threat intelligence and digital forensics in criminal investigations,” the ministry said in a statement on Saturday.
On the Indian side, the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C) of the Union home ministry, is responsible for implementing the MoU. On the US side, the agencies are the Department of Homeland Security, and its constituent bodies, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Homeland Security Investigations Cyber Crimes Center (C3).
The external affairs ministry said cybercrimes have “intricate linkages with the common security challenges faced by India and the US”, such as terrorism and violent extremism, terror financing, drug trafficking, organised crime, human trafficking, illegal migration, money laundering and transportation security.
{{/usCountry}}The external affairs ministry said cybercrimes have “intricate linkages with the common security challenges faced by India and the US”, such as terrorism and violent extremism, terror financing, drug trafficking, organised crime, human trafficking, illegal migration, money laundering and transportation security.
{{/usCountry}}The MoU on cybercrime investigations will “enable further strengthening of India-US security cooperation, as part of our comprehensive and global strategic partnership”, the statement said.