India, Australia Eye Bilateral Data-Sharing Treaty to Tackle Cybercrime

India and Australia are in preliminary talks to explore sharing real-time information to tackle cybercrimes, fuelled by growing cyberattacks from nations such as North Korea on critical infrastructure including power grids and medical facilities.

- Shouvik Das

The two countries are increasingly interested in a bilateral treaty that specifically addresses data-sharing to tackle cybercrime, Brendan Dowling, ambassador for cyber affairs and critical technologies in Australia's department of foreign affairs and trade, told Mint.

"The current MLAT process is not smooth and impedes our ability to cooperate. Bilaterally, there's room to improve. There have been conversations between India and Australia to set up a bilateral cyber security-driven data sharing agreement," Dowling said.

"Conceptually, both countries agree upon the need for it—what hasn't happened is a framework to make this happen, though the intent is there."