Govt looks at stricter security testing for telecom equipment

India is set to tighten security testing rules for equipment like Wi-Fi routers, broadband devices and fibre network gear as it seeks to make telecom equipment safer for use in the country’s internet networks, government officials and industry executives aware of the matter said.

- jatin [e-mail]

The move is part of strengthening the Communication Security Certification Scheme (ComSec) introduced in 2019.

(ISTOCKPHOTO)

This means telecom equipment makers such as Nokia, Ericsson, Cisco, and Tejas Networks can no longer rely solely on temporary approvals or self-declarations of compliance with security testing requirements, but will now have to clear some mandatory security checks before their products can be deployed in the country’s networks.

The move is part of India’s Communication Security Certification Scheme (ComSec) scheme, introduced in 2019, to ensure that telecom equipment used in the country meet minimum security standards and are safe for deployment in networks. However, even after six years of the introduction of the scheme, no equipment maker has fully complied with the security standards, instead relying on self-declarations and government-issued Pro Tem certifications to operate their products in the country.