Amid rising digital security concerns, the central government is likely to consider the Railway Ministry’s proposal to make cyber security testing mandatory for the purchase of Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras by all government agencies. BLiTZ has received this information.
Ministry of Railways has requested NITI Aayog to consider the proposal for mandatory cyber security clearance of cameras. It has also sought a go-ahead for testing of the associated software by the Directorate of Standardization Testing and Quality Certification (STQC), a statutory body of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
In a letter to the CEO of NITI Aayog, the Railway Ministry has expressed national security concerns over the lack of compliance with cyber security standards. Railways have claimed that STQC clearance has not been given to even a single Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) so far.
The Ministry has said, ‘In this context, cyber security clearance is mandatory by Railways, while it is not required in other projects like city surveillance, smart city etc. Hence, OEMs are not giving priority for safety clearance of their products.
Railways, one of the largest public sector buyers of CCTV cameras in the country, aims to install the surveillance system in 983 railway stations. For this a separate budget is allocated from the Nirbhaya Fund.
In 2019, when the debate over vulnerabilities in internet-based video surveillance systems raged, the NITI Aayog and the Railways decided to procure CCTV cameras in line with cyber security. However, despite pressure from the Railways, the lack of a clear mandate from the Center made the implementation ineffective.
Seeking the commission’s intervention, the Railways said, “It will ensure overall security concerns in the country and mandate camera OEMs to make their products compliant with cyber security standards.”
Rs 500 crore was allocated to the Railways to install CCTV cameras at stations in metros, big cities, medium and small towns. The stations have been classified on the basis of annual revenue. Railways is hopeful that the installation of these cameras will be completed by June this year.
The issue of cyber security concerns through video surveillance systems has recently arisen around the world. In November 2022, the UK government banned the use of CCTV cameras in government departments built by two Chinese firms over security concerns.
One of those firms, Hikvision, was also reportedly in the running for a contract by RailTel Corporation of India. RailTel is a Railway owned undertaking, which has been entrusted with the work of installing these cameras.
China is one of the pioneers in surveillance technology and rising tensions between the Indian and Chinese militaries have prompted the Center to keep a close eye on the security of its digital infrastructure.
