DH NEWS SERVICE
new delhi, FEB 4
The Department of Telecommunications has taken a series of policy and technical measures to strengthen the security of the telecom network in the country and to prevent cyber-attacks and misuse of telecommunications infrastructure. This was stated by the Minister of State for Communications and Rural Development, Dr. Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar, in a written reply to an unstarred question in the Lok Sabha today. The Minister highlighted that these initiatives are aimed at protecting citizens, securing telecom networks and enhancing trust in digital communication systems.
The Minister informed the House that the Department of Telecommunications, in collaboration with Telecom Service Providers, has put in place a robust system to identify and block incoming international spoofed calls that falsely display Indian mobile numbers. This initiative has led to an almost 99 percent reduction in such fraudulent calls, significantly curbing a major source of telecom-related scams and cyber frauds.
To further enhance coordination among stakeholders, the Department has developed a secure online Digital Intelligence Platform. This platform enables the sharing of information related to the misuse of telecom resources among central security agencies, State and Union Territory police, banks, Unified Payments Interface service providers, Non-Banking Financial Companies and telecom service providers. The platform has strengthened real-time intelligence sharing and improved the response to telecom-enabled financial frauds.
The Department has also mandated stringent security audits for telecom networks. Telecom Service Providers are required to conduct annual network security audits or get their networks audited whenever there is a significant change in configuration. These audits must be carried out by accredited network certification agencies in accordance with international standards such as ISO and IEC norms, including vulnerability assessment and penetration testing. In addition, an external audit of telecom networks is mandatory at least once every three years to ensure continued compliance with security standards.
To safeguard sensitive telecom data, the Department has issued advisories to service providers to strengthen protection of subscriber and call-related records, including Subscriber Detail Records, Call Detail Records and IP Detail Records. These measures focus on ensuring the security of data both at rest and during transmission. Instructions have also been issued regarding the minimum requirements for security policies of Department of Telecommunications licensees, providing clear direction for establishing, implementing and continuously improving security management systems.
Annual cross-check network security audits of telecom service providers and internet service providers are also being conducted to assess the security of network equipment, software, supply chains and data management from a national security perspective. Additionally, a Telecom Security Operations Centre has been established to enhance situational awareness, monitoring and coordination on telecom cyber security matters.
The Minister further informed that the Department has developed a Financial Fraud Risk Indicator, a risk-based metric that classifies mobile numbers based on their association with financial fraud. This tool enables banks and digital payment service providers to take enhanced precautionary measures. As per reports from stakeholders, more than ?1,000 crore worth of fraud has been prevented through transaction declines and timely alerts.
The Department has also launched Sanchar Saathi, a citizen-centric initiative that allows people to report suspected fraud communications, check mobile connections issued in their name, report lost or stolen handsets and verify the authenticity of mobile devices. As a result, 27.96 lakh lost or stolen mobile handsets have been traced, while 8.22 lakh handsets have been recovered and returned to their rightful owners by State and Union Territory police. In addition, 2.22 crore mobile connections have been disconnected based on citizen reporting, and 39.42 lakh connections have been terminated following inputs related to suspected fraud.
The Department continues to promote digital safety through extensive awareness campaigns, including the Sanchar Mitra scheme, which engages student volunteers to educate citizens on fraud prevention and safe digital practices.
