gmane.org.telecom.india-gii

hundreds of apps, few products or companies

Arun Mehta — 2013-05-04T08:12:31

To what extent does the smart phone invasion threaten India's IT business?
Speech to text finally seems to work well enough to make many call center
jobs redundant. Also, I'm not sure how companies like Wipro and Infosys
would make enough money writing smart phone apps.

Our friends in the "ancient city of Kochi" (they should have stuck with
Cochin) would be better advised to look for a thousand million-dollar apps
though...

Arun Mehta

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-22205601

Searching for India's billion-dollar start-upBy Zubair AhmedBBC News, Kochi

hundreds of smartphone apps have been developed at Startup Village, an
incubator of ideas and innovations.

It was launched a year ago in the ancient city of Kochi, which lies in the
Indian state of Kerala.

...

This is perhaps a stark reminder that India, despite its massive clout in
the IT world, has not been able to produce IT entrepreneurs as successful
as the ones in posters.

Of course the country has its own IT heroes, such as Kris Gopalakrishnan of
Infosys and Azim Premji of Wipro, but they made their fortunes in the IT
services sector.

...

so far it has launched very few products or companies, but it has developed
hundreds of apps.
____________________________________________________________
You received this message as a subscriber on the list:
     india-gii-exipcMZXGhH9nmKIgjYY/w< at >public.gmane.org
To be removed from the list, send any message to:
     india-gii-unsubscribe-exipcMZXGhH9nmKIgjYY/w< at >public.gmane.org

For all list information and functions, see:
     http://lists.cpsr.org/lists/info/india-gii

finally: EVMs with paper trail?

Arun Mehta — 2013-05-03T14:39:19

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/election-commission-ready-with-new-evm/384187-37-64.html


The Election Commission has told the Supreme Court that the new electronic
voting machines (EVMs)'s are almost ready. The Election Commission will
show the new EVMs to all the political parties sometime in May.
The special feature of the new EVM is that as soon as the voter presses a
button to cast his vote, a screen will show him that candidate whom he or
she has voter for. The EVM will also print a slip which will show the
candidate voted for.
But the slip will not be given to the voter and will be deposited in a box
at the polling booth.

We started asking for this from the time of the first voting machine
introduction and controversy, way back in 1989. Every general election,
some losing candidate invariably found fault with the evm, and raked up the
whole issue again, only to let go once the new election was in sight.


Kudos to Dr. Subramaniam Swamy for having persisted thus.

Arun Mehta
____________________________________________________________
You received this message as a subscriber on the list:
     india-gii-exipcMZXGhH9nmKIgjYY/w< at >public.gmane.org
To be removed from the list, send any message to:
     india-gii-unsubscribe-exipcMZXGhH9nmKIgjYY/w< at >public.gmane.org

For all list information and functions, see:
     http://lists.cpsr.org/lists/info/india-gii

Moving the india-gii list

Udhay Shankar N — 2013-04-28T17:05:48

For those who came in late: this list was started in 1995 by Arun Mehta,
and along the way some others (Vickram Crishna, Suresh Ramasubramanian,
and myself) also chipped in to help run things, mostly behind the scenes.

The list has been hosted on the CPSR server since the beginning. But
they are planning to shut down their server, so it is time to move to a
new host.

The current thinking among the moderators is to host it on Suresh's
server on the india-gii.org domain. However, Suresh will be unable to
provide archives for the list - either historical or ongoing.

Would any of the list members be able to offer a home for the list
archives? Mail me offlist for more details.

Udhay

Indian Postal Service

Vickram Crishna — 2013-04-27T08:16:29

It is certainly odd. The folder contains two items, one named as an .exe file, which is imprudent enough to horrify anyone who cares about security, the second is a .txt file (readme) which my Android browser says is not the case, that the link actually leads to another kind of file. 

I think the site has been hacked, and the original contents of the folder(s) replaced. The link above this one, which names itself as a divisional negative list (the home page has no clue about what this term means), actually is a form for customers to file notice of lost certificates. The form may be fake, potentially as dangerous to unwary users.

Vickram
communicall.wordpress.com
Yahoo! Mail on Android

____________________________________________________________
You received this message as a subscriber on the list:
     india-gii-exipcMZXGhH9nmKIgjYY/w< at >public.gmane.org
To be removed from the list, send any message to:
     india-gii-unsubscribe-exipcMZXGhH9nmKIgjYY/w< at >public.gmane.org

For all list information and functions, see:
     http://lists.cpsr.org/lists/info/india-gii

Indian Postal Service

Vickram Crishna — 2013-04-27T08:16:05

It is certainly odd. The folder contains two items, one named as an .exe file, which is imprudent enough to horrify anyone who cares about security, the second is a .txt file (readme) which my Android browser says is not the case, that the link actually leads to another kind of file. 

I think the site has been hacked, and the original contents of the folder(s) replaced. The link above this one, which names itself as a divisional negative list (the home page has no clue about what this term means), actually is a form for customers to file notice of lost certificates. The form may be fake, potentially as dangerous to unwary users.

Vickram
communicall.wordpress.com
Yahoo! Mail on Android

____________________________________________________________
You received this message as a subscriber on the list:
     india-gii-exipcMZXGhH9nmKIgjYY/w< at >public.gmane.org
To be removed from the list, send any message to:
     india-gii-unsubscribe-exipcMZXGhH9nmKIgjYY/w< at >public.gmane.org

For all list information and functions, see:
     http://lists.cpsr.org/lists/info/india-gii

Our very own RVP is suddenly famous on twitter ..

Suresh Ramasubramanian — 2013-04-23T03:18:56

.. being mistaken for Robin van Persie, much to his chagrin :)

--srs (iPad)
____________________________________________________________
You received this message as a subscriber on the list:
     india-gii-exipcMZXGhH9nmKIgjYY/w< at >public.gmane.org
To be removed from the list, send any message to:
     india-gii-unsubscribe-exipcMZXGhH9nmKIgjYY/w< at >public.gmane.org

For all list information and functions, see:
     http://lists.cpsr.org/lists/info/india-gii

Interesting McKinsey report on the internet in India

Udhay Shankar N — 2013-03-20T08:42:00

The entire report is here [1], but the key bits are below:

Udhay

[1]
http://www.mckinsey.com/locations/india/mckinseyonindia/pdf/Executive_Summary_Online_and_upcoming_The_Internet_impact_on_India.pdf

<quote>

Our report offers seven key findings concerning the impact of and
outlook for the Internet in India:

1. India’s base of about 120 million Internet users is currently the
third-largest in the world. Though India’s users spend less time online
per capita than users in developed countries, their pattern of online
behavior is rapidly converging. The Internet’s role in communication,
social networking, and informing and influencing India’s consumers in
categories such as apparel, books, financial services, and travel is
already comparable with that of developed countries.

2. India is likely to have the second-largest user base in the world,
and the largest in terms of incremental growth, with 330 million to 370
million Internet users in 2015. Given current downward trends in the
costs of Internet access and mobile devices, India is on the verge of an
Internet boom. In an evolution pattern unique to India, users who access
the Internet only through a mobile or tablet device will constitute
around 75 percent of new users and 55 percent of the aggregate user base
in 2015, leading to increasing demand for content that is optimized for
a small screen.

3. India has the potential to double its economic contribution from the
Internet in the next three years, from 1.6 percent of GDP at present to
2.8 to 3.3 percent by 2015. Despite the large current base of users, the
Internet currently contributes a modest 1.6 percent to India’s GDP, in
line with most aspiring countries. This could grow to 2.8 to 3.3 percent
by 2015 if India achieves its potential for growth in the number of
Internet users and Internet technology related consumption and
investment over this period, increasing the Internet’s contribution to
GDP from $30 billion today to nearly $100 billion in 2015. This would
make the Internet related economy larger than the education sector and
as large as the health care sector, in terms of share of GDP at present.
Currently, India’s information and communication technology (ICT)
exports are the most significant component of the Internet’s impact on
GDP. But private consumption, private investment and public investment
have greater potential to grow in future.

4. The impact of the Internet in India is constrained by current gaps
and obstacles in the Internet ecosystem. While India scores well on the
availability of human and financial capital, it rates poorly on Internet
infrastructure, Internet engagement, the e-commerce platform, the ease
of Internet entrepreneurship, and the impact of e-governance. On most
indicators of the strength of the Internet ecosystem, India ranks in the
bottom quartile of our comparison set of 57 countries.

5. Although the Internet ecosystem is becoming more vibrant, the
benefits have been relatively concentrated. India’s Internet startups
are scaling up through creative adaptations to overcome infrastructural
and systemic bottlenecks. Yet, while large enterprises have gained from
their early adoption of the Internet, there is scope among individual
consumers, SMEs and the government sector to significantly increase
engagement. Today, India’s measurable consumer surplus from the Internet
is estimated at $9 per user per month, at the low end of the range for
aspiring countries ($9 to $26) and well below the range for developed
countries ($18 to $28). Even by 2015, with overall Internet penetration
likely to reach 28 percent, rural penetration is likely to be just 9
percent.

6. India can achieve broad-based Internet impact by aiming for the
digital inclusion of nearly 40 percent of its population, to reach a
user base of 500 million by 2015, rather than the likely target of 330
million to 370 million. Most of the additional 150 million to 160
million users would be individuals and small businesses in semi-urban
and rural parts of the country. Extending Internet access to these
segments of the population, and promoting the usage of many more online
services, would enable India to derive much more of the intended
benefits from government programs of inclusive growth in employment,
education, health care, nutrition, and financial services.

7. Concerted actions by policy makers and businesses in five areas can
help India achieve an inclusive Internet transformation: reduce the cost
of Internet access across devices, content and applications; increase
access to low-cost, high-speed connectivity in rural and semi-urban
India beyond the top cities; promote widespread digital literacy through
the introduction of devices and content tailored to the local context;
devise Internet applications in new areas such as agriculture, health
care, education, energy, utilities, and public information; and create a
more favorable business environment for Internet entrepreneurs to
support rapid innovation.

</quote>

Somewhat OT: Calling Ankit Fadia's bluff

sarbajit roy — 2013-03-05T01:55:16

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/calling-ankit-fadias-bluff-is-he-the-hacker-he-claims-to-be/376481-11.html

Well somebody had to say it.
____________________________________________________________
You received this message as a subscriber on the list:
     india-gii-exipcMZXGhH9nmKIgjYY/w< at >public.gmane.org
To be removed from the list, send any message to:
     india-gii-unsubscribe-exipcMZXGhH9nmKIgjYY/w< at >public.gmane.org

For all list information and functions, see:
     http://lists.cpsr.org/lists/info/india-gii

Me on Phone Tapping of Politicians on News X TV Channel

Ravi VS Prasad — 2013-03-01T13:02:42

Me on Phone Tapping of Politicians on News X TV Channel


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qsYnxl4awU

Me on News X TV Channel, 16:30 news bulletin, Friday, 01 March 2013.
On phone tapping controversy of tapping of phones of leading politicians. 

Friday, 01 March 2013, 16:30 news bulletin. Anchor Frank Pereira. 

News X TV Channel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qsYnxl4awU


Ravi Visvesvaraya Sharada Prasad
Phones: {91} 85 120 196 30, 85 120 196 40, 99 90 265 822
r_v_p-PkbjNfxxIARBDgjK7y7TUQ< at >public.gmane.org, r_v_p-/E1597aS9LQAvxtiuMwx3w< at >public.gmane.org, rvsp60-Re5JQEeQqe8AvxtiuMwx3w< at >public.gmane.org






____________________________________________________________
You received this message as a subscriber on the list:
     india-gii-exipcMZXGhH9nmKIgjYY/w< at >public.gmane.org
To be removed from the list, send any message to:
     india-gii-unsubscribe-exipcMZXGhH9nmKIgjYY/w< at >public.gmane.org

For all list information and functions, see:
     http://lists.cpsr.org/lists/info/india-gii

Offtopic, query about DAB

Frederick FN Noronha फ्रेड्रिक नोरोन्या *فريدريك نورونيا — 2013-02-20T20:25:41

I got access to a DAB receiver via a friend. Query: are there DAB
broadcasts in India? If so, which areas? Or what is the schedule for this
to become available? Thanks, FN

FN +91-832-2409490 or +91-9822122436 fn-L0usHwIw0nmGglJvpFV4uA< at >public.gmane.org
Audio recordings (mostly from Goa): http://bit.ly/GoaRecordings
Goa,1556 http://www.scribd.com/doc/76671049/Goa1556-Catalogue-Books-from-Goa
____________________________________________________________
You received this message as a subscriber on the list:
     india-gii-exipcMZXGhH9nmKIgjYY/w< at >public.gmane.org
To be removed from the list, send any message to:
     india-gii-unsubscribe-exipcMZXGhH9nmKIgjYY/w< at >public.gmane.org

For all list information and functions, see:
     http://lists.cpsr.org/lists/info/india-gii

Indiatimes.com shutting down...

Frederick FN Noronha फ्रेड्रिक नोरोन्या *فريدريك نورونيا — 2013-02-18T05:48:28

This seems rather unprecedented. Have other major services "shut down" like
this?

This is to inform that the Indiatimes.com Email Service will stop accepting
new users from *19th November, 2012*.

The Indiatimes.com Email Service ("Service") will be discontinued and shall
be permanently shut down with effect from *18th February, 2013 at 12 PM
(Indian Standard Time)*.

You will no longer be able to send or receive mails or access your account
for the purpose of reading mail and/or transfer any data (i.e. emails,
tasks, documents, folders, appointments, and/or contacts) currently saved
in your account post 18th February, 2013 - 12 P.M(Indian Standard Time).
You are advised to immediately download all your emails/contacts/data from
your Indiatimes mailbox via
IMAP<http://register.indiatimes.com/signup/FAQ.jsp> at
the earliest.

You can continue to log in to all Times Internet Limited network sites
using your Indiatimes.com email address.

http://email.indiatimes.com/


FN +91-832-2409490 or +91-9822122436 fn-L0usHwIw0nmGglJvpFV4uA< at >public.gmane.org
Audio recordings (mostly from Goa): http://bit.ly/GoaRecordings
Goa,1556 http://www.scribd.com/doc/76671049/Goa1556-Catalogue-Books-from-Goa
____________________________________________________________
You received this message as a subscriber on the list:
     india-gii-exipcMZXGhH9nmKIgjYY/w< at >public.gmane.org
To be removed from the list, send any message to:
     india-gii-unsubscribe-exipcMZXGhH9nmKIgjYY/w< at >public.gmane.org

For all list information and functions, see:
     http://lists.cpsr.org/lists/info/india-gii

how bad is the usage of PacketShaper?

Arun Mehta — 2013-02-17T11:29:22

These Canadians exposed Chinese hacking of the Tibetan government in
exile and also the extensive hacking of sensitive Indian computers.
Hence, this front page item, I thought, would get some attention, but
it didn't seem to . How much of a threat to our privacy and free
speech is packet shaping technology?
Arun Mehta

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/indian-net-service-providers-too-play-censorship-tricks/article4394415.ece
A research team at Citizen Lab, an interdisciplinary laboratory based
at the Munk School of Global Affairs, University of Toronto, found a
software-hardware combo package called PacketShaper being used in many
parts of the world, including India.

The study identified the presence of four PacketShaper installations
on the networks of three major ISPs in India during the period of
study in late 2012. These ISPs had been earlier “implicated in
filtering to some degree,” the report said.

The deployment of such traffic management technologies by ISPs could
threaten privacy, freedom of expression and competition, said Sunil
Abraham, Executive Director of the Bangalore-based NGO, Centre for
Internet and Society.
____________________________________________________________
You received this message as a subscriber on the list:
     india-gii-exipcMZXGhH9nmKIgjYY/w< at >public.gmane.org
To be removed from the list, send any message to:
     india-gii-unsubscribe-exipcMZXGhH9nmKIgjYY/w< at >public.gmane.org

For all list information and functions, see:
     http://lists.cpsr.org/lists/info/india-gii

Incomplete and false registrant data in iipm.in

Sarbajit Roy — 2013-02-16T18:02:46

To: registry-egYhe9Ynq/c< at >public.gmane.org;
registrantsupport-jdbVnTrTookxFYw1CcD5bw< at >public.gmane.org

Sirs

Sub: .IN Domain of Indian Institute of Planning and Management.

I wish to inform you that I find from using whois that there is incomplete
and false registrant data in the domain "iipm.in"

The domain/site was registered in 2005. The present address given by whois
is B-27 New Delhi 110016. I say there is no such address and it is
incomplete.

Thereafter in 2006/2007  the IIPM campus at B-27 Qutab Institutional Area,
New Delhi 110016 was sealed and IIPM's 2 towers were apparently razed by
the MCD pursuant to Supreme Court orders in M.C.Mehta's IA 22 matter in
which I was also a party (I had filed a contempt petition for non-sealing
of offending premises). Please see this URL
http://www.hindu.com/2006/11/16/stories/2006111614891500.htm

There is no mention of any B-27 address in IIPM's website
http://www.iipm.edu/contact-iipm.html

I therefore apprehend that IIPM has given false information about its
address for registering their .in domain since disclosing their full
address may render them liable to contempt of court if non-conforming
activities are still ongoing from the premises.

Kindly look into it and see if any action is required

yours faithfully

Sarbajit Roy
National Convenor
India Against Corruption.
B-59 Defence Colony
New Delhi 110024

Tel ; 09311448069
____________________________________________________________
You received this message as a subscriber on the list:
     india-gii-exipcMZXGhH9nmKIgjYY/w< at >public.gmane.org
To be removed from the list, send any message to:
     india-gii-unsubscribe-exipcMZXGhH9nmKIgjYY/w< at >public.gmane.org

For all list information and functions, see:
     http://lists.cpsr.org/lists/info/india-gii

Blocked URLs

Sharath Jeppu — 2013-02-16T16:15:01

Any idea on what grounds have these URLs been blocked?

http://www.medianama.com/wp-content/uploads/blocking-instruction-II-14-Feb-2013.pdf
____________________________________________________________
You received this message as a subscriber on the list:
     india-gii-exipcMZXGhH9nmKIgjYY/w< at >public.gmane.org
To be removed from the list, send any message to:
     india-gii-unsubscribe-exipcMZXGhH9nmKIgjYY/w< at >public.gmane.org

For all list information and functions, see:
     http://lists.cpsr.org/lists/info/india-gii

Directed by court, DoT moves to block 73 URLs critical of IIPM

Sashikumar N — 2013-02-16T02:34:50

There is no end to this absurdity in the name of law, sometimes like
Kamalhasan we have to wonder why we still live in this country?

"Remarkably, the list of 73 URLs includes a public notice of July 2012
issued by the University Grants Commission saying that "IIPM is not a
university within the meaning of section 2(f) of the UGC Act, 1956". It
also includes articles published by The Times of India and The Economic
Times and other newspapers and magazines."

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Directed-by-court-DoT-moves-to-block-73-URLs-critical-of-IIPM/articleshow/18521319.cms

Anonymous joins protests against Internet shutdown in Kashmir

Frederick FN Noronha फ्रेड्रिक नोरोन्या *فريدريك نورونيا — 2013-02-13T05:58:43

Anonymous joins protests against Internet shutdown in Kashmir
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/anonymous-joins-protests-against-internet-shutdown-in-kashmir/articleshow/18468270.cms
____________________________________________________________
You received this message as a subscriber on the list:
     india-gii-exipcMZXGhH9nmKIgjYY/w< at >public.gmane.org
To be removed from the list, send any message to:
     india-gii-unsubscribe-exipcMZXGhH9nmKIgjYY/w< at >public.gmane.org

For all list information and functions, see:
     http://lists.cpsr.org/lists/info/india-gii

Very much on-topic (I think): RIP Aaron Swartz, what it means for India

Banibrata Dutta — 2013-01-15T05:16:54

Must watch video (in it's entirety), unless you've seen it before.
http://boingboing.net/2013/01/12/rip-aaron-swartz.html

Amazing similarity between the chain of RTI activist deaths in our country,
and that of Aaron Swartz. Internet is the last bastion standing.
____________________________________________________________
You received this message as a subscriber on the list:
     india-gii-exipcMZXGhH9nmKIgjYY/w< at >public.gmane.org
To be removed from the list, send any message to:
     india-gii-unsubscribe-exipcMZXGhH9nmKIgjYY/w< at >public.gmane.org

For all list information and functions, see:
     http://lists.cpsr.org/lists/info/india-gii

OT: Response to "Rape" Committee's Public Notice on behalf of India Against Corruption

Sarbajit Roy — 2013-01-05T18:52:16

OFF-TOPIC

To:
India-gii

I'm posting this to gii because

a) In case anybody has missed out on sending their suggestions to the
Justice Verma Committee on amending laws for women, the last date for which
was today 5-Jan-2013, you could try sending it upto 5:00 PM on Monday
7th/Jan/2013 by virtue of Clause 10 in the General Clauses Act.
Today 5th was a Saturday (holiday) so the next working day is 7th Monday
and they would have to accept it.

As this Committee has received over 90,000 responses so far by email, some
of them very detailed, NIC in collaboration with ERNET is testing advanced
artificial intelligence nanobots (imported from Israel at US$ 12 million
dollars each - kickbacks not included) which have been implanted in the
brains of the geriatric committee members (some aged over 80 years) to
process and consider each submission in under 0.02 secs (time to throw each
submission in the "trash" folder not included) to enable the Committee's
pre-drafted reported to be submitted in the next 18 days.

b) If somebody wants to do a quick hack, I'm attaching a PDF of what we
sent from India Against Corruption.

c) The real reason I am submitting this to Gii is because Justice Verma is
also the Chairman of the News Broadcasters Association's illegal Complaints
Council, which holds its meetings at Delhi's plush watering holes like the
IIC and the IHC to shaft consumers/viewers, and IAC is very upset with this
Self-regulatory (SRO).

Sarbajit

<snip>
To:
Chief Justice (Retd) J.S.Verma and his co-members

With copy to:
The Secretary (Ministry of Home Affairs) for intimation of certain
grievances concerning the constitution of this Hon'ble Committee

05-January-2012

Respected Sirs/Madam

Please find attached 2 PDF files containing/concerning the
response/submissions of the "India Against Corruption" Jan Andolan to the
public notice issued in various newspapers on 25.12.2012 or thereabouts.

The IAC would be obliged if an acknowledgment in receipt of its submissions
is given to us in due course.

With best wishes

Yours faithfully
for the IAC Collective

Er. Sarbajit Roy
National Convenor
India Against Corruption, Jan Andolan
B-59 Defence Colony
New Delhi 110024

Tel : 09311448069

URL: www.indiaagainstcorruption.net.in
 List: indiaresists-3hfIC0tI0F+k/GrYEfjPQg< at >public.gmane.org
____________________________________________________________
You received this message as a subscriber on the list:
     india-gii-exipcMZXGhH9nmKIgjYY/w< at >public.gmane.org
To be removed from the list, send any message to:
     india-gii-unsubscribe-exipcMZXGhH9nmKIgjYY/w< at >public.gmane.org

For all list information and functions, see:
     http://lists.cpsr.org/lists/info/india-gii

RIP Bruce gingery

Suresh Ramasubramanian — 2013-01-05T16:21:35

If people from the early days of Vsnl dial ups in India remember, there was a FAQ maintained by dr raj Mehta.  Bruce was a friend of his and I was first introduced to him after I emailed dr Mehta with some suggestions

He was a genius at Sendmail too.. And a fixture, if rather more opinionated than me, on various mail and antispam newsgroups till the mid 2000s I think

I just heard he passed away in 2011. http://www.ryanmortuary.com/obits/2011/gin11020.html

--srs (iPad)____________________________________________________________
You received this message as a subscriber on the list:
     india-gii-exipcMZXGhH9nmKIgjYY/w< at >public.gmane.org
To be removed from the list, send any message to:
     india-gii-unsubscribe-exipcMZXGhH9nmKIgjYY/w< at >public.gmane.org

For all list information and functions, see:
     http://lists.cpsr.org/lists/info/india-gii

Is voice over IM legal in India?

Ivor Soans — 2012-12-20T12:49:30

I've noticed that while RIM has made a big noise about BBM 7 (which features BBM Voice--allowing voice calls to other BBM users when both are connected on Wi-Fi), there's been complete silence from RIM on this in India.

I believe the issue is that there seems to be no clarity on whether voice over an instant messenger tool like BBM is legal in India. While I know Skype does the same, is it staying on the right side of Indian regulations on this?

Would appreciate hearing from experts on the list.

Regards,

-Ivor




____________________________________________________________
You received this message as a subscriber on the list:
     india-gii-exipcMZXGhH9nmKIgjYY/w< at >public.gmane.org
To be removed from the list, send any message to:
     india-gii-unsubscribe-exipcMZXGhH9nmKIgjYY/w< at >public.gmane.org

For all list information and functions, see:
     http://lists.cpsr.org/lists/info/india-gii

"Over 10K Government Email IDs Hit in Cyber Attack"

sajan venniyoor — 2012-12-20T04:51:27

Years ago, when I worked for radio in the Andamans, there was a global bird
flu scare and I hot-footed it to the ICAR office (CARI Port Blair) to find
out how vulnerable our fowl were. The senior animal husbandry chap there
looked pained and pointed out that the Indian chicken came from such
diverse stock and are so geographically isolated that it would take one
heck of a virus to infect all of them. (He wasn't speaking for Venky's, of
course).

I think the subject of 'government email' has been discussed here before,
and it was pointed out with some asperity that govt. officials continue to
use third party mail services like gmail, yahoo etc. for office work. I'm
pretty sure they were the only ones *not *hacked in this cyber-attack. On
the other hand, one couldn't possibly send "strategic information related
to critical sectors, including troop deployment" by gmail; but then, why
send such information by email at all?

Sajan

*Over 10K Government Email IDs Hit in Cyber Attack*
eGov | Dec 19, 2012

New Delhi: In what is being termed as the biggest cyber attack on the
country’s official computer networks, over 10,000 email addresses of top
government officials were hacked in a single day on July 12 this year.

The IDs included those of officials working in the PMO, defence, external
affairs, home, finance ministries, as well as intelligence agencies. The
attack has been blamed on state actors, based in countries inimical to
India’s interests.

The attack took place despite an alert issued four days earlier, on July 8,
by the National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre
(NCIIPC), formed under the National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO),
as the malware or malicious software used was “sophisticated” and targeted
subjects, individuals and organisations.

“The advisory was issued on July 8… and the PMO, NSA and other agencies
alerted,” a top NTRO official told The Indian Express. “The MEA and MHA
took the biggest hit, plus strategic information related to critical
sectors, including troop deployment, was compromised.”

“Paramilitary forces were also badly hit, especially ITBP, as deployments
were revealed. There were serious cases of negligence, the involvement of
insiders, if any, is also being checked,” he added.

News of the attack was confirmed by officials of intelligence and
enforcement agencies who attended a day-long NCIIPC conference in the
capital on Monday where Cabinet Secretary Ajit Seth, NSA Shiv Shankar Menon
and NTRO Chairman P V Kumar were among those present.

“We would not like to name the state actors but D4 — destroy, disrupt, deny
and degrade — process was initiated and counter offensive launched,” the
NTRO official said.

- Indian Express
____________________________________________________________
You received this message as a subscriber on the list:
     india-gii-exipcMZXGhH9nmKIgjYY/w< at >public.gmane.org
To be removed from the list, send any message to:
     india-gii-unsubscribe-exipcMZXGhH9nmKIgjYY/w< at >public.gmane.org

For all list information and functions, see:
     http://lists.cpsr.org/lists/info/india-gii