Days before handing over power to President-elect Donald Trump, the Biden administration signed an agreement with New Delhi that provides for enhanced cooperation in combating cybercrime and related challenges such as terror financing and violent extremism.
According to an Indian readout, the agreement signed in Washington on Friday on cyber crime investigation allows the respective agencies of the two countries to increase the level of cooperation with respect to cyber threat intelligence and digital forensics.
This is the second such move in the last few days by the outgoing Biden administration that reflects the overall upliftment of relations between the two countries.
The US on Wednesday lifted sanctions on three Indian nuclear institutions – Bhabha Atomic Research Center (BARC), Indira Gandhi Center for Atomic Research (IGCAR) and Indian Rare Earths (IRE).
The purpose of lifting the sanctions is the implementation of the historic India-US civil nuclear deal signed almost 16 years ago.
The Memorandum of Understanding or MOU on Cyber Crime Investigation was signed by Indian Ambassador Vinay Kwatra and Acting US Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Kristy Canegallo.
The Ministry of External Affairs said, “Cyber crime is complex with the common security challenges facing India and the US such as terrorism and violent extremism, terror financing, drug trafficking, organized crime, human trafficking, illegal migration, money laundering, and transportation security.” There are relationships.” read out.
“The MoU on Cyber Crime Investigation will enable us to further strengthen India-US security cooperation as part of our comprehensive and global strategic partnership,” it said.
The Ministry of External Affairs said that from New Delhi, the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Center (I4C) of the Union Home Ministry will be responsible for the execution of the MoU.
On the US side, it will be the Department of Homeland Security and its constituent agencies – US Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Homeland Security Investigative Cybercrime Center (C3) – tasked with executing the agreement.
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