India, yesterday, concluded a two-day virtual workshop aimed at addressing key challenges in the field of cyber security, dark web and digital forensics. Conducted from 10-11 January, the first “Colombo Security Conclave Virtual Workshop” was hosted by the Indian National Security Council Secretariat in association with National Forensics Science University, Gandhinagar (Gujarat) and the Secretariat of the Colombo Security Conclave. The workshop was attended by delegates from Sri Lanka, Maldives, India, Seychelles, Bangladesh and Mauritius. These countries are the members and observer states of the Colombo Security Council (CSC), an initiative by six third-world nations in the Indian Ocean Region aimed at increased cooperation over maritime security, trade, human trafficking, counter terrorism and strategic interests in the region.
Last year at the 5th Deputy NSA Level Meeting, member and observer states of the Colombo Security Conclave (CSC) agreed on four pillars of cooperation including Maritime Safety and Security, Terrorism and Radicalization, Trafficking and Organized Crime and Cyber Security and Protection of Critical Infrastructure. A joint maritime exercise by the Ships and aircraft of Indian Navy (IN), Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) and Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) was also conducted in the Indian Ocean region.
The CSC virtual workshop was organised as the inaugural activity under the fourth pillar of cooperation, i.e. Organized Crime and Cyber Security and Protection of Critical Infrastructure. A senior official of the Indian National Security Council Secretariat said, “This is for the first time that half a dozen countries from the third world countries joined hands for regional Cyber Security on defensive operations, Deep/Dark Web Handling and Digital Forensics.”
As part of the workshop, key areas of Deep Web and Dark Net Investigation and Challenges; Digital Forensics; Cyber Threat intelligence; and Defensive Operations in Cyber Domain were discussed. Delegates from member and observer states also discussed various encounters and shared experiences that they faced while dealing with cyber security and forensic issues along with solutions and successful strategies.
According to a press release by the government of India, “Participants agreed to identify key deliverables and continue to work on the way forward for cooperation on cyber security under the Colombo Security Conclave.”
