As cybercrime continues to rise globally, nations are realizing the importance of collaborating to safeguard their infrastructure and digital assets. One such collaboration is between India and Australia, which are exploring a bilateral data-sharing agreement to combat cybercrime effectively. This initiative could significantly improve real-time information sharing, addressing increasing cyber threats and enhancing cybersecurity cooperation between the two countries.
Why It’s Critical?
With cyberattacks increasingly becoming a tool for geopolitical manipulation, the need for international cooperation is more pressing than ever. Both countries have witnessed growing cyber threats, including attacks on critical infrastructures like power grids, medical facilities, and other sectors that are essential for the functioning of a nation.
Brendan Dowling, Ambassador for Cyber Affairs and Critical Technologies at Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, explained,
“There is interest on both sides to find ways for it. The Quad (comprising India, Australia, Japan and the US) has been a useful grouping, under which a cybersecurity working group actively speaks about cross-country data sharing arrangements. Between India and Australia, both governments are interested in sharing more information in real time, collaborating closely with specifically assigned points of contact, and so on.”
The mutual interest between the two nations reflects the increasing urgency for establishing a well-structured and streamlined system for tackling cross-border cybercrime.
Role of Data Sharing
The central focus of this initiative is to enable seamless sharing of critical data between India and Australia in real-time to combat cybercrimes, especially those orchestrated by state-sponsored hackers. Cyber-attacks from countries like North Korea, Russia, China, and Iran have become more frequent, with many of these attacks targeting public infrastructure and commercial data.
Addressing Cybersecurity Threats through Data Sharing
One of the main reasons this data-sharing initiative is essential is because it directly addresses the increasing sophistication and scale of cyber-attacks. For example, a recent report by cybersecurity firm Recorded Future highlighted that state-backed cybercriminals from China orchestrated widespread cyber-attacks on Mumbai’s power distribution network in 2021, leading to a massive power blackout in India’s financial capital. According to Dowling,
“There is scope for more collaborations here, because nation-backed cyberattacks are today interfering with democratic processes, stealing sensitive commercial data, and disrupting civilian services.”
This growing threat necessitates that nations work together to prevent further disruptions and ensure the protection of both governmental and private sector data.
Despite the challenges presented by the existing legal frameworks such as Mutual Legal Assistance Treaties (MLAT), India and Australia are working on a more efficient method to exchange information to address these threats. The MLAT process, which is the traditional method of sharing information between countries, is slow and can take years to execute.
India’s legal landscape, particularly the DPDP Act, lays out the rules for protecting data within India but also offers exemptions for data-sharing in certain cases, like criminal investigations. As Nappinai, a senior counsel at the Supreme Court of India, stated,
“Data protection laws have built-in exemptions, particularly for data sharing inter alia for criminal investigations.”
The focus on creating a bilateral data-sharing agreement between India and Australia is aimed at expediting the process of information-sharing, allowing both countries to respond swiftly to cyber threats.
Strengthening Data Sharing
As the cyber threat landscape continues to evolve, it is crucial for countries like India and Australia to set an example by strengthening their cybersecurity collaborations. India, being a rapidly growing hub for technology, and Australia, with its advanced cybersecurity infrastructure, are ideally positioned to lead global efforts in fighting cybercrime.
Nappinai also pointed out an ad-hoc UN committee under the aegis of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Cyber Crime (UNODC) is close to finalizing a draft cybercrime convention in 2024, that is likely to come into effect soon. She also said,
“This draft provides for data sharing and cooperation between countries for fighting cybercrime, and becomes part of initiatives that signatory countries are undertaking.”
This global push for cybersecurity cooperation aligns well with the ongoing discussions between India and Australia, and such agreements will prove essential as more countries join the fight against cross-border cybercrimes.
Source: Mint
