VZCZCXRO8446
OO RUEHBI RUEHCI
DE RUEHNE #9249/01 3420903
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 080903Z DEC 05
FM AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7084
INFO RUEHCI/AMCONSUL CALCUTTA 0055
RUEHCG/AMCONSUL CHENNAI 9666
RUEHBI/AMCONSUL MUMBAI 8942
RUEAHLC/HOMELAND SECURITY CENTER WASHINGTON DC
RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHINGTON DC
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC
RHHMUNA/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 7981
RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 0078
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RHMFISS/HQ USSOCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NEW DELHI 009249 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR INR/B 
STATE FOR PM ERUSSELL, MMARKOFF 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PINR KCIP TINT PTER EFIN ECPS KTFN IN
SUBJECT: GOI DESIRE TO EXPAND CYBER RELATIONSHIP 
 
¶1.  (U) This is an Action Request for PM.  Please see para 9. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) Summary: The GOI would like to see measurable 
progress on the creation of a joint Indo-US Cybersecurity 
fund and joint training opportunities, and welcomes 
Washington comments on how to proceed on these issues.  Of 
particular interest to the GOI is the future of the 
stagnating Research and Development working group and the 
creation of working groups on Cybersecurity in the Financial 
and Transportation Sectors.  End Summary. 
 
R&D: Up or Out 
-------------- 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Recent conversations with NSC cybersecurity 
coordinator Commander Saini have focused on the January 16-17 
third plenary of the Indo-US Cybersecurity Forum.  Saini has 
complained that the R&D working group (WG) has stagnated and 
that a decision needs to be made either to move forward with 
the creation of a virtual or physical joint R&D facility and 
student exchange programs, or to break the R&D group down 
into other WGs divided by topic.  He suggested that the 
overlap between the Science and Technology and R&D working 
groups was contributing to this stagnation.  Saini suggested 
that the plenary would be a good opportunity to address the 
overlap issue and pave the way for the R&D working group to 
move forward with the creation of a joint facility and 
student exchanges.  He said the GOI would prefer to see the 
R&D WG succeed as is, but would be willing to break up the 
group into smaller, topical groups if that would help promote 
movement on the issues. 
 
Proposal 1: Financial Sector Working Group 
------------------------------------------ 
 
¶4.  (SBU) The GOI is very interested in formalizing a working 
group on Cybersecurity in the Financial Sector.  The seminar 
on the issue held in Mumbai in September 2005 was a 
resounding success and New Delhi would like to see a dialogue 
continue in the working group arena to address the need to 
secure legitimate transactions and isolate "dark force 
monies."  Saini noted an exponential increase in financial 
interdependency between India and the US through networks. 
This dependency includes not only normal import/export 
transactions but also "support processing" by Indian industry 
to US financial institutions and bodies (i.e. through BPOs). 
Saini noted that Internet-based transactions were also 
exploited by "dark forces" which included terrorists, hawala 
operators, scammers, and drug lords.  The GOI would like to 
ensure that the US and India have interoperable standards in 
cyberspace; Saini proposes that participants in the working 
group include representatives from the Reserve Bank of India 
and Indian intelligence agencies as well as their USG 
counterparts. 
 
Proposal 2: Transportation Sector Working Group 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
¶5.  (SBU) The GOI is interested in dialoguing about a working 
group on cybersecurity in the transportation sector and 
welcomes Washington's comments.  Currently, there is no 
single entity in India responsible for protecting critical 
infrastructure.  The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team 
(CERT-In) handles intrusion events on an emergency basis but 
does not maintain the security of infrastructure networks. 
India is most interested in an exchange with TSA on securing 
their air, rail, and bus data infrastructure.  Saini readily 
admits that although Delhi and Washington have a joint 
interest in securing data systems related to air traffic, 
rail and bus networks -- though accounting for a staggering 
amount of India's daily domestic travel -- is not a logical 
 
NEW DELHI 00009249  002 OF 002 
 
 
issue of bilateral concern.  That said, he hopes the Indian 
side could glean important "lessons learned" from TSA 
officials who focus on securing data relating to ground 
transportation. 
 
Joint Fund & Training to Raise Cyber Cooperation Profile 
--------------------------------------------- ----------- 
 
¶6.  (SBU) The GOI would like to highlight the cooperative 
nature of the Indo-US Cybersecurity Forum and request 
feedback from Washington on two issues introduced at the 9-10 
November 2004 Plenary in Washington.  Specifically, the GOI 
is eager to set up a joint Indo-US Cybersecurity Fund to 
which the two governments would provide start up funding. 
Other stakeholders could also be invited to contribute.  The 
fund would be used to finance the Cybersecurity Forum's 
activities, including possible expansion as per above.  In 
addition, the GOI would like to move forward with more 
training exercises in 2006, including exchanges of technical 
experts and joint training.  To underline the importance the 
GOI ascribes to what has become a high-profile and highly 
successful bilateral engagement on cybersecurity, Joint 
Secretary (Americas) S Jaishankar on December 8 reiterated 
 
SIPDIS 
Delhi's desire to move forward on the joint fund and joint 
training. 
 
Bio Brief: Saini to Retire from Navy and Go Private 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
 
¶7.  (SBU) Saini told in us that he plans to retire from the 
Navy after his tour at NSCS concludes in April, in order to 
continue following cybersecurity issues in the private 
sector.  He has not finalized where he will end up (NASSCOM, 
a think-tank, or industry), but he assures us he will tell us 
as soon as he knows, and will introduce us to his successor 
once one is named.  For now, his focus remains squarely on 
achieving deliverables out of the January plenary, 
undoubtedly to further increase his marketability. 
 
Comment: GOI Eager to Move Forward 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶8.  (SBU) Saini and his NSCS superior, Joint Secretary Arvind 
Gupta continue to push Indo-US cybersecurity cooperation with 
energy and focus at every opportunity, including at the High 
Technology Cooperation Group (Septel).  They -- as well as 
senior Foreign Ministry officials -- clearly want to create 
strong momentum and expand the bilateral infrastructure 
underpinning cybersecurity cooperation.  Erica Russell will 
get another taste of this eagerness during her upcoming TDY, 
which will (we hope) authoritatively address the above issues. 
 
¶9.  (SBU) ACTION REQUEST:  Post requests that Erica Russell 
be prepared to give the GOI authoritative responses to their 
requests regarding the joint fund, joint training, and 
financial sector and transportation working groups, during 
her forthcoming meetings in New Delhi. 
 
¶10.  (U) Visit New Delhi's Classified Website: 
(http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/sa/newdelhi/) 
MULFORD