India commits to open, safe, secure and dynamic cyber space, says Sushma Swaraj

New Delhi: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Friday said India is committed to an open, safe, secure, and dynamic cyber space.

Speaking at the closing ceremony of the Global Conference on Cyber Space (GCCS) 2017, Swaraj said, "India is committed to an open, safe, secure, inclusive, democratic and dynamic cyber space. Our national programmes of Digital India, Clean Ganga and Skill India are laying the foundation for inclusive development."

She added that the Digital India programme is focused on three key vision areas, "One, infrastructure as a utility to every citizen, two, governance and services on demand, and three, digital empowerment of citizens."

Swaraj said that the Digital India programme has the potential to truly transform India from a developing to a developed knowledge economy.

She also pointed out that the very dynamic and evolving nature of cyber space has brought cyber issues to the centre-stage of development polity, crime prevention and investigation, expansion of economy and trade, national and international security.

"The fact that all forms of activities - political, social, economic and development - which are now conducted and connected in cyber space has not only expedited the pace of growth, but also brought forth a new set of challenges for which no pre-set solutions exist," Swaraj said while dwelling on threats in the digital space.

She cautioned that the lack of borders in cyber space and the anonymity of the actors have ensured that the traditional concepts of sovereignty, jurisdiction and privacy are challenged.

"India is committed to the objective of having an open, safe, secure, inclusive, democratic and dynamic cyber space that responds swiftly to challenges," the External Affairs Minister, who is known for her active use of Twitter and has over 10 million followers on the social media platform, said.

At the same time, she said that cyber space has been infiltrated by malicious actors looking for opportunities to exploit vulnerabilities.

Sushma Swaraj said that the disappearance of traditional concepts of borders and the speed of proliferation of crime has heightened the need to enter into agreements and arrangements among countries for cooperation at various levels.