CERT-inPOLITY

News: CERT-in may be exempted from giving information under RTI Act, says Centre

 

What's in the news?

       The government informed the parliament that the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-in) may soon be exempt from responding to queries under the Right to Information Act.

 

Key takeaways:

       The Department of Personnel and Training has reviewed a proposal from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology to include CERT-in in the Second Schedule to the RTI Act, which deals with exempted organizations like the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Border Security Force (BSF).

 

CERT-in:

       Computer Emergency Response Team is the nodal government agency that deals with cyber security threats like hacking and phishing in India.

 

Administrative Control: Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology

 

Functions:

       Protect Indian cyberspace and software infrastructure against destructive and hacking activities.

       Strengthen security-related defence of the Indian internet domain.

       Collection, analysis and dissemination of information on cyber incidents.

       Forecast and alerts of cyber security incidents.

       Emergency measures for handling cyber security incidents.

       Coordination of cyber incident response activities.

       Issue guidelines, advisories, vulnerability notes and whitepapers relating to information security practices, procedures, prevention, response and reporting of cyber incidents.