[Chapter-delegates] Not so good news: Bulgarian Government attempts wire tapping, data retention

[Sivasubramanian Muthusamy]

Hello Veni

India's Information Technology (Amendment) Act, 2008
http://164.100.24.219/BillsTexts/LSBillTexts/PassedLoksabha/96-c%20of%202006.pdfinstitutes
significant new requirements governing the interception and
decryption of communications, access to stored data, data retention, cyber
security, and website blocking. The law authorizes the government to
restrict what encryption may be used in India. Regulations implementing many
of these requirements have already been "notified," while other key
regulations remain to be issued. Communications providers and other
companies in India will have to satisfy burdensome new requirements, and may
be faced with even more significant restrictions in future.

_____

Provisions within the India's IT amendment act 2008 allow for unrestricted
e-surveillance and lawful interception of data, regardless of encryption,
and facilitates the blocking of content deemed disrespectful or
objectionable towards national sentiments, at the discretion of government
personnel appointed for the purpose.  The amendments also make it mandatory
for organizations in India to maintain reasonable security practices for
protection of third-party data from unauthorized access, non-adherence would
attract severe monetary penalties.  While freeing organizations from any
responsibility regarding third-party data on their websites, the amendments
enlist data retention requirements for such third-party data.

... The recent controversy<http://www.cisco.com/web/about/security/intelligence/CRR_may19-25.html#7>in
India regarding the decryption of data of Research In Motion’s (RIM)
Blackberry service, serves as a perfect illustration.  A second example
involves a directive<http://www.tataindicombroadband.in/mailers/Instructions%20of%20DoT-%20Wi-Fi%20Security.pdf>issued
to ISPs in India, which requires all subscribers who have deployed
wireless networks within their premises to register their wireless equipment
with the ISP.

The practice of utilizing e-surveillance as the sole means of ensuring
information security ...[is seen in] situations like the unintended
blocking<http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/5194172.stm>of the
entire
blogspot.com domain in 2006.  Sections of Indian
media<http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/curbsthe-internet/359377/>also
appear to question the qualification of authorities responsible for
the
blocking of objectionable content and the implications of these amendments
on end-user privacy.

The updated Information Technology Act appears to focus on changing the
largely reactive approach towards information security into a proactive
approach.

(excerpts from a cisco blog post by Prasanna
Sambasivan<http://blogs.cisco.com/authors/bio/426>)


Sivasubramanian Muthusamy
http://www.isocmadras.com
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On Thu, Jan 21, 2010 at 8:47 PM, Borka <borka at e5.ijs.si> wrote:

> Hi Veni,
>
> We recently managed the Internet and web site access to not be controlled.
> There was
> a proposal web site without Slovenian permission (payable to the state)
> for on line games site
> to be banned. However, as they are not hosted by Slovenian ISP there was no
> any
> footing for this and the proposal was not adopted so far (the new Law on
> communication
> will be on the table of the Slovenian Parliament next week and there is a
> small chance this
> to be again discussed).
>
> Regards,
>
> Borka
>
> Veni Markovski pravi:
>
>> http://sofiaecho.com/2010/01/13/841829_bulgarias-online-eavesdropping-game
>> and
>> http://sofiaecho.com/2009/12/18/831890_the-eyes-have-it
>>
>> We are seeing more and more attempts by even EU member states to control
>> the Internet, one way or another. In this particular case, we hope we've
>> managed to stop the suggested interface to be installed at the level of
>> Internet Service Providers. But what exactly the Parliament will vote, is
>> tough to guess.
>> I am curious, if other countries have similar issues?
>>
>> veni
>>
>>
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