New Delhi : In the backdrop of government drawing up a comprehensive strategy to tackle radicalization through internet and preventing youth from getting attracted to the ideology of Islamic State (IS), National Investigation Agency (NIA) has for the first time set up a special cell to monitor internet content and chatter. It will also help the agency generate its own intelligence vis-a-vis terror investigations.
For this, the agency has acquired state-of-the-art tools (software) from a US software giant. The tools — approved by National Informatics Centre (NIC) and Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) — will help the agency cull out communication having certain keywords related to any kind of terrorism or radicalization attempt. They will also cull out suspect content across various platforms that could be put together to establish patterns through analysis.
Until now, such tools were available only with Intelligence Bureau (IB) and Research and Analysis Wing (RAW). This makes NIA the only agency outside the intelligence set-up to be allowed such surveillance.
It had been a long-standing demand of the agency that it be allowed to develop its own intelligence capabilities so that it can generate inputs related to its investigations. The agency had even presented a vision document to the NDA government asking for such powers and stressed on investment in cyber surveillance.
“Terrorists are not talking over the phone anymore. That is why it took so many years to apprehend Indian Mujahideen operative Ahmed Zarar Siddibappa alias Yasin Bhatkal even as he continued executing blast after blast. Unless we enhance our cyber monitoring capabilities, we are always going to stay a step behind the terrorist. All terror plans, radicalization, recruitment are to day being discussed over the internet,” said an NIA official.
However, the job is easier said than done. In the day and age of encrypted communication and frequently changing codes for terror chatter, state-of-the-art tools can only help as much. Sources in intelligence agencies, which have been struggling to keep pace with this communication, say that it ultimately boils down to the man who is analyzing the data.
In analysis too, speed is the key. A conversation decoded after an incident has already taken place is of no use, said sources. India also lacks the wherewithal, at least as of now, to deal with encrypted data. The fact that servers of all internet and social media platforms are in the US, India is unable to force these companies to share information within a time frame.
“We are training our men as of now. The idea is to expand this cell across the country at all NIA branches. But we have shortage of manpower. As of now, only three men are under training,” said another NIA official.
Source : The Times of India
