Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06NEWDELHI1318
2006-02-22 12:53:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy New Delhi
Cable title:  

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR PROPOSED DELIVERABLE ON

Tags:  PGOV PINR PREL KCIP KCRM ECPS EFIN TINT IN 
pdf how-to read a cable
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FM AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0393
INFO RUEHCI/AMCONSUL CALCUTTA 1858
RUEHCG/AMCONSUL CHENNAI 1667
RUEHBI/AMCONSUL MUMBAI 0909
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
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RUEIDN/DNI WASHINGTON DC
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RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 9266
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RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 1433
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RHMFISS/HQ USSOCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 NEW DELHI 001318 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE/PM FOR MMARKOFF AND ERUSSELL
STATE/INL FOR JVIGIL

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/21/2016
TAGS: PGOV PINR PREL KCIP KCRM ECPS EFIN TINT IN
SUBJECT: ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR PROPOSED DELIVERABLE ON
INDO-US CYBER SECURITY COOPERATION

REF: STATE 25966

Classified By: DCM obert Blake for reasons 1.4 (B,D)

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 NEW DELHI 001318

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE/PM FOR MMARKOFF AND ERUSSELL
STATE/INL FOR JVIGIL

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/21/2016
TAGS: PGOV PINR PREL KCIP KCRM ECPS EFIN TINT IN
SUBJECT: ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR PROPOSED DELIVERABLE ON
INDO-US CYBER SECURITY COOPERATION

REF: STATE 25966

Classified By: DCM obert Blake for reasons 1.4 (B,D)


1. (U) This is an Action Request for PM -- see Para 5.


2. (SBU) National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) Joint
Secretary Arvind Gupta and NSCS Deputy Director Cdr. Mukesh

SIPDIS
Saini on February 21 discussed with Poloff Reftel questions
relating to Articles 1.2 (the joint Cybersecurity Fund (CF))
and 1.3 (the Cybersecurity Training Institute) of the
US-India Cybersecurity Protocol of Agreement. Regarding the
CF, the GOI seeks an initial investment of 100,000 USD from
each side, with a commitment to future, equal contributions
that would be mutually determined. The GOI wants to keep the
language vague to prevent limiting the CF as our cyber
cooperation evolves, Gupta told us. For example, restricting
the fund's use to the current five cybersecurity working
groups would force the parties to amend the document if
additional working groups are approved; Gupta also noted that
some mutually beneficial cybersecurity activities might not
neatly fit into a working group's mandate. New Delhi is open
to USG amended language that allows for fund expenditure for
any cybersecurity capacity building activity which falls
under the umbrella of the Cybersecurity Forum; the details of
fund management and accountability would be worked out
bilaterally after the Protocol is signed. We understand the
hunt is on in Washington to identify USG funding sources,
including possibly through INL. Gupta and Saini have
indicated that the GOI may reach out to the Indian private
sector to secure their share of future infusions of funds but
they believe they can obtain the initial contribution from
government coffers.


3. (SBU) Gupta clarified that the "facility" the GOI seeks
is not to be a physical structure, but would be more
accurately described as a program to foster cooperative
academic research education and R&D initiatives between US
and Indian universities, which would include common curricula
and text books, augmented by student exchanges. The GOI
wishes to promote R&D collaboration in areas such as
forensics and cryptology, for example, and to develop mirror
programs in an Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and a US
institution. Gupta and Saini indicated that IISc/Bangalore
would be their choice for the Indian institution; Saini said
IISc/Bangalore is already engaging with Carnegie Mellon along
these lines.


4. (SBU) Gupta suggested that CF funds could be used to
promote the academic relationship with scholarships for
students. Gupta also raised with Poloff the prospect of
helping Indian (and presumably US) universities develop
post-graduate degree programs on cybersecurity. (NOTE:
Currently, some Indian IT programs include courses on
information security, but none have a full curriculum
dedicated to cybersecurity. End Note.) Gupta
was confident that the CF and academic programs could be
managed concurrently.


5. (C) Action Request for PM: As adept as Gupta and Saini
are at working the Indian bureaucracy, they are turning to us
(read: Washington) to provide the amended language for the
Cybersecurity Protocol of Agreement. They would not say so
directly, but our impression is that they believe they can
clear USG-approved language within the GOI more easily than
they can craft language that will pass Washington's muster.

Comment: Time is of the Essence
--------------


6. (C) Gupta recognizes that many operational details remain
to be worked out; the focus here is on producing a mutually
acceptable document that charts the path for cybersecurity
cooperation forward and produces something tangible along the

NEW DELHI 00001318 002 OF 002


way, and to do so in time for the POTUS visit. Mission
believes that the USG will be able to structure the CF's
management and retain sufficient control to ensure
accountability. Post is unsure how much the USG would need
the CF to finance our own training or capacity building, but
it would ease the budgetary shock of trying to arrange USG
travel to cybersecurity events in India, which has bedeviled
many past cyber events. Gupta and Saini look forward to
working out the details once the commitment to moving forward
has been cemented and the agreement has been signed.


7. (C) Saini is clearly the driving force behind the GOI's
focus on cybersecurity, as well as one of the most dynamic
GOI bureaucrats we know. Saini will retire from government
service in April, and will be out of the NSCS as of early or
mid-March; his replacement has not yet been identified. In
addition to the deadline posed by including a cybersecurity
deliverable for the POTUS visit, our best chance of forward
movement on cybersecurity cooperation is during the remainder
of Saini's tenure.


8. (U) Visit New Delhi's Classified Website:
(http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/sa/newdelhi/)
MULFORD