U.S.-India Business Council Applauds Resumption of Cybersecurity Dialogue

Talks focus on enhancing cooperation between governments and building partnerships with the private sector to protect critical infrastructure

After a two year hiatus, the long-awaited U.S.-India Cyber Security Dialogue took place in Washington, D.C., this week. The U.S.-India Business Council and industry partners convened the industry portion of the U.S.-India Cyber Security Dialogue on August 10, 2015. Senior business leaders shared their views on cyber challenges with senior Indian and U.S. government officials, including Dr. Arvind Gupta, Deputy National Security Advisor; Dr. Gulshan Rai, Cyber Coordinator, Prime Minister’s Office; and Michael Daniel, Special Assistant to the President and Cybersecurity Coordinator, National Security Council, White House; Chris Painter, Coordinator for Cyber Issues, U.S. Department of State.

At the conclusion of the bilateral talks on August 12, 2015, the Council hosted a reception for senior officials from both governments as well as private sector stakeholders. The long-awaited talks build on the January 2015 joint statement between Prime Minister Modi and President Obama that emphasized the need to “… cooperate on enhancing operational sharing of cyber threat information, examining how international law applies in cyberspace, and working together to build agreement on norms of responsible state behavior.”

“The resumption of the dialogue itself is a positive sign. We are hopeful that the governments and industries from both the countries can work together to chart the way forward for a successful U.S.-India partnership in responding to the evolving cyber challenges,” said Arvind Gupta, Deputy National Security Advisor.

Speaking for the United States, Michael Daniel, Special Assistant to the President and Cybersecurity Coordinator, made clear that, “Cybersecurity is fundamentally a team endeavor, and it is essential that international partners like India and the United States work together closely, along with industry and civil society, to raise our cyber defenses in both the short and long term, to disrupt and interrupt malicious actors in cyberspace, and to improve our ability to respond to and recover from cyber threats. I am especially encouraged by India’s recent statements of support for the multistakeholder model of Internet governance, and look forward to a collaborative partnership with our Indian colleagues and our partners from industry and civil society to ensure that the Internet continues to be an open, interoperable, global platform that enables international trade and commerce, strengthens international security, and fosters free expression and innovation.”

Dr. Mukesh Aghi, President of the U.S.-India Business Council said, “As the digital economy continues to develop, the interdependency between governments and businesses will grow. It is in the interest of all parties to continue to engage in dialogues that spur policy developments and economic growth.”

Industry leaders from the United States submitted policy recommendations to the U.S. Government and the Government of India, emphasizing the need to protect cross border data flow, facilitate remote access, provide for strong encryption standards, and reduce cybersecurity threats through targeted public-private partnerships.

“Information and communications technologies and services (ICT) enable innovations that provide economic, social, and cultural benefits to citizens, businesses, and governments around the world. Those same players must also collaborate to enhance cybersecurity, and Microsoft supports the commitment that the U.S. and Indian Governments have made to work together on this priority. Microsoft looks forward to continued engagement with them, including through the Cybersecurity Dialogue, to make meaningful progress on the challenges and opportunities facing our globally-interconnected society,” said Angela McKay, Director, Cybersecurity Policy and Strategy for Microsoft.

“The government’s programs to promote cybersecurity and assure national security are closely tied to the systems and infrastructure which business operates. Consultation with business as early in the process as possible can help assure that such programs are implemented effectively while avoiding needless burdens or unintended consequences to innovation and business operations. Such collaboration is essential to fulfilling the Prime Minister’s ambitious programs for India’s continued economic growth and societal inclusion,” said Joe Alhadeff, Chair of the Council’s Digital Economy Committee.

The event was attended by senior executives from the Council’s member companies that include: Oracle, IBM, Google, Microsoft, Symantec, Intel, AT&T, Cisco, Verizon and Wipro. The Council collaborated with the Information Technology Industry Council (ITI) and the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) on the industry recommendations that were presented to both governments.