Telephone tapping and eavesdropping on conversations in any case are minor compared to the ever expanding networks, computers and Internet users in India that are bugged or have sleeper bots inside

There was considerable commotion in the media on the reported bugging of the office of the Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee. The Minister, as per reports, confirmed he suspected that the offices of the Finance Ministry were bugged and reportedly wrote to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh about an “adhesive-like substance” recovered from his office that might have been used to implant electronic listening devices.

Government sheepishly faced another embarrassment, which is commonplace with Rajas and Marans on the prowl. The Opposition cried blue murder, alleging a rival ministry was probably involved. The incident is reported to have happened in September 2010, with discoveries in the office of the FM, his advisor, his personal secretary and two conference halls of the Finance Ministry. Following the discovery, very strangely the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) was called in instead of the Intelligence Bureau (IB). Later, the IB scoffed the incidence away.

Surely, the Finance Minister and his staff have not taken a liking for bubble gum and sticking it under the tables and behind pictures on the wall after the day’s chew up. Of course it will never emerge who was behind the alleged bugging – the Chinese, ISI, corporate sector, ministerial rivalry or political rivalry, later on account machinations for the next President and Prime Minister?

A couple of years back, Amar Singh too was up in arms for alleged tapping of his telephones. Why this commotion and hyperbole against bugging? Is anyone exempt? Phone taps may have sealed off Rupert Murdoch’s tabloid but then he was not in India. M.K. Dhar, a former Joint Director IB wrote in his book Open Secrets that President Giani Zail Singh’s office and bedroom in the Rashtrapati Bhavan were bugged throughout his tenure as the President of India. This was resorted to after the Giani as Home Minister was observed entertaining terrorists from Punjab in his official home in Delhi. As if dining and wining were not enough, they were also supplied weapons and finances – so much for the politician nexus with evils of the society. The then government in its wisdom simply kicked him up and put permanent tabs on his telephones and conversation in the topmost abode of the country. Any surprises?

The mere fact that no one has questioned the author proves its authenticity. There is a move now to usher in legislation against bugging as well but are we going to need another Lokpal to legislate it if government itself is involved and the IB exempt from RTI? Telephone tapping and eavesdropping on conversations in any case are minor compared to the ever expanding networks, computers and Internet users in India that are bugged or have sleeper bots inside. India only assembles computers with all parts being imported, mainly from China. Considerable amount of software and communication too is imported. All this leaves tremendous scope for embedding malware including during development phase. No testing facilities have been created in the country to deal with such situations.

The annual increase in bot infected computers in India has taken enormous proportions. Even Pakistan has been originating viruses like ‘Sea Brain’. Cyber attacks aim at stealing nuclear, defence, economic, industrial secrets. The threat is not only from sundry hackers and criminal activity but from state-criminal network-hacker nexus that can acquire dangerous proportions, impinging seriously on security and economy of the country. Viruses and botnets are prowling the web, embedding quietly into the vulnerabilities. Ghostnet penetrated more than 1,200 systems in 103 countries including India and Stuxnet infected some 79,000 computers globally including 6,000 in India. We need holistic attention to bugging. Protests against telephone tapping are not enough.

The views expressed herein are the personal views of the author.