The Indian government has allayed the fears of mobile phone subscribers that Blackberry technology will be banned in the country. Reports on moves on banning this popular technology were based on the fears that the Indian government’s intelligence agencies would not be able to decrypt messages sent by this service. Blackberry allows phone users to send emails and web faxes like other utilities available on a normal cell phone, but its most attractive feature is the security of its services.

Blackberry uses a highly complex algorithm for the purposes of security- a 256-bit advanced encryption standard (AES) process; the Indian government's capability is reportedly, limited to only 40 bits. This is shocking considering that current commercial transactions on the internet are carried out with much stronger encryption standards. Popular web-payment sites such as Paypal offer 128-bit SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) technology to their consumers. Would the Indian government consider barring all online transactions because of its inability to develop decryption codes to keep pace with internet technology?

The modern-day terrorist is technologically adept and is increasingly using the internet as the preferred mouthpiece for promoting terrorist ideology, making it a weapon of choice for terrorists. The use of internet by a terror group was first witnessed when supporters of the terror group Tupac Amaru used the internet to advertise the little known outfit during the kidnap episode of the Japanese ambassador to Peru in 1996.

Since then the internet has been transformed into an active tool for disseminating information. The role of the internet in terrorist plans is exemplified by the fact that a number of terrorist organisations like the LTTE, Hamas and Hezbollah operate websites which disseminate information about their cause and activities.

After 9/11, a new form of hunters took on the task of hunting down terrorists - cyber hunters. These individuals crawl the internet unearthing terror websites and help take them down by providing information to law enforcement authorities. In one case, a terrorist killed in Saudi Arabia, carried a threatening letter in his pocket against a cyber hunter based in the United States.

A number of countries have acknowledged the security implications of the information available freely on the internet. Google was inundated with requests from a number of countries to blur or block high resolution images of sensitive locations available on its satellite imagery service. Last year, al Qaeda deputy leader, Ayman Zawahiri, acknowledged the growing importance of the internet for spreading the group's ideology when he denounced television channel Al-Jazeera, and revealed his plans to conduct an online interview with questions being posted on various Islamic websites.

The internet is a vast playground for terrorists and other subversive groups. The lack of attention paid to the security of information which can be accessed through the internet is another plus for the terrorists. For example, a couple of years ago Swedish hacker, Dan Ergestad, stumbled upon a security loophole which enabled him to hack and post over a thousand email accounts and passwords. Shockingly, 200 of them were of embassies worldwide. This included the Indian embassy in Sweden and the United States, and, more dangerously, accounts of the Indian Defence and Research Organisation. (Times Now, 31 August 2007)

Tech-savvy terrorists are not limited to using the internet. The use of cell phones as a trigger mechanism in the 2004 Madrid train bombings and reports of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) being linked to cell phones in Iraq show the advances made in terror technology. Additionally, reports of scientists and engineers being linked to terrorist attacks are proof that there is no dearth of volunteers for serving terrorist causes from the scientific community. The case of Kafeel Ahmad is an example; the bomber in the failed Glasgow Airport attack was a graduate in aeronautical engineering. Then, in late February 2008, the Bangalore police arrested Yahya Khan, a software engineer, who is suspected to have links with Islamic militants. The Bangalore police have now asked information technology companies to screen potential employees for having terrorist backgrounds.

The Indian government has a dedicated Computer Emergency Response Team, or CERT which is authorised to respond to computer security issues in India. Some websites are banned by the CERT on grounds of promoting religious hatred, for example. However, with proxy tools freely available on the internet, implementing such bans is difficult. Similarly, suggestions for blocking Blackberry services in India would be a step in the wrong direction as it would severely restrict the growth of similar products in the country. India is well endowed with the expertise to develop monitoring tools which are at par with international standards, and immediate steps should be taken towards this end.