The state government sought Israel’s help to do an audit of its cybersecurity policy, its approach, the capabilities of the private sector and start-ups.

IANS Updated:December 15, 2017, 12:18 PM IST

Telangana is keen to have a partnership with Israel in cybersecurity and emulate its world-class robust architecture, a senior official said on Thursday. The state government also sought Israel’s help to do an audit of its cybersecurity policy, its approach, the capabilities of the private sector and start-ups. Addressing a cybersecurity conference here, Telangana’s Principal Secretary, Information Technology Jayesh Ranjan said a quick diagnosis would help to know if Telangana has reached anywhere close to Israel and also what needs to be done to attain global standards.

He said he was impressed with Israeli National Information Security Agency’s success in creating a formidable cybersecurity framework. Mentioning that Telangana has signed an MoU with The Hague Security Delta and they identified opportunities of collaboration, Ranjan said the state would like to have a similar partnership with Israel. He said Telangana was the first state to come out with a dedicated policy for cybersecurity and was putting in place the cybersecurity architecture.

The first piece of the architecture will be launched this month or next month with the setting up Security Operation Centre (SOC), which will be housed at the State Data Centre and will focus on protecting critical infrastructure of the government. Shai Moses, Consul for Trade and Economic Affairs at Israeli Consulate General in Bengaluru, said India, like Israel, can create abundant talent pool required to achieve global standards in cybersecurity.

“Israel sees great potential for business partnerships with Indian companies and we welcome the IT players to explore collaboration opportunities with Israel companies,” he said. Konfidas CEO Ram Levi made a presentation on Israel’s journey to emerge a global leader in cybersecurity systems. Top experts in information security, data security and IT infrastructure are taking part the two-day conference, being organised by Kenes Exhibitions.

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The second edition of the Cyber Security Conference in Hyderabad aims to provide a platform for networking and sharing knowledge among cyber security professionals.

Levi served as secretary of the Israeli Prime Minister’s National Cyber Initiative Task Force and is keen to get more Israeli companies to Telangana and take Indian companies to Israel to develop a robust relationship on Cyber Security.

When asked about the recommendations that Israeli companies will provide to the State, Levi said, “We will work on different aspects that include providing academic support, developing information capacity, how to share information on cyber attacks not only within the State but also with other States, recommendation on improving law enforcement and what the government can do to attract more MNCs here and send some to Israel in the cyber security space.”

He was speaking on the sidelines of the second edition of the Cyber Security Conference in Hyderabad. Organised by Kenes Exhibitions, the conference aims to provide a platform for networking and sharing knowledge among cyber security professionals.

Levi’s remarks assume importance as the government is also keen to engage in a dialogue with the Israeli companies in this space. Speaking at the conference, Telangana IT principal secretary Jayesh Ranjan said, “We request the companies from Israel to do a diagnosis of our government, private and startups initiatives in the cyber security space and guide us on what else needs to be done.”

Sources: http://www.news18.com/news/tech/telangana-finds-israeli-assistance-to-beef-up-cyber-security-1605115.html

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/telangana-seeks-israeli-help-to-beef-up-cyber-security/1/1110509.html

http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/telangana-seeks-israeli-help-to-beef-up-cyber-security-117121401471_1.html