Needed: A Policy Doctrine on Information Security in Developing Countries – Part 1
Modern innovations in the field of information technology have developed at a mind-boggling rate, and none more so than the Internet for it functions as the backbone of e-commerce in the new millennium. The Internet acts as a super highway for all kinds of information products. In this fast-changing scenario, it is imperative to establish robust and reliable internal and external security controls to cope with the threat of hackers and other criminal minds with technical acumen. End-users in countries like the USA and Western Europe are making an all-out effort to mobilize political and public support in favour of a new mind -set among the users and specific policy guide lines to protect businesses and industries from potential losses in case of a breach of security in this cyber highway.
Many emerging economies like India will be obliged to pay extra attention to the need for policy guidelines as these are the economies released from the past shackles of colonialism. The governments of these states are trying to put their best foot forward in liberalizing their economies, trying to enter into the global arena. India is no longer an exception because the current economic policies are almost made in tandem with the growth in the cyber economies of the entire global village. In fact, recently the Government. of India announced that it is on the verge of passing a bill on cyber business in the winter session of the national parliament. This legislation is expected to be in line with similar laws prescribed by many advanced countries in the West. Therefore, the main objective of this article is to suggest an approach for a possible security doctrine to be established by these developing countries over a period of time.
A possible approach
The possible approach described here seeks to promote executive understanding of the key issues affecting the management of information and communications between two parties within or beyond the boundaries of the nations in cyberspace. In addition to generating better awareness of the importance of security to organizations and countries today, it provides a framework for designing, implementing, and managing effective security over information transmission and retrieval. In a digital world, the effective management of information, information systems and communications is of critical importance to the success and survival of the policies of a nation and its organizations. This importance arises due to:
