India to set up cellphone security testing, certifying facility

Taking security concerns into account, India has decided to set up facilities to test and certify mobile phone hardware and software supplied by foreign telecom companies. These tests, at present, are conducted abroad.

Union Minister for Communications and Technology, Kapil Sibal, on Thursday said that the Indian Institute of Science Bengaluru has been asked to set up a lab for which the government has sanctioned Rs 50 crore.

"Right now we can conduct A level tests, the second and third level tests would be possible in the next two or three years," Sibal said. In all there are seven tests that need to be completed before the product receives a security certification, Sibal added.

The minister said the decision was taken considering today's multi operator/vendor environment, risk to security of networks and related services, possibilities of theft and misuse of database.

Right now the onus of certifying lies with vendors and the government proposes to penalise the vendor in case the statements are proved wrong either by cancelling the licence or imposing heavy penalty on the defaulters.

Vendors have been asked to submit a detailed designing document and international architecture (both hardware and software), which are vital for detailed testing.