IETE Governing Council

Dear All,
1. We are delighted to learn that certain members of IETE have sought the candidature of Lt Gen SP Kochhar, AVSM**, SM, VSM, ADC our SO-in-C for the election as member of IETE Governing Council 2012-15.
2. We are sanguine that all our esteemed members of IETE will whole heartedly support the election of SO-in-C to the IETE Governing Council.
Visit webpage: IETE
Governing Council 2011- 12
What is IETE?
The Institution of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineers (IETE) is India's leading recognised professional society devoted to the advancement of Science and Technology of Electronics, Telecommunication & IT. Founded in 1953, it serves more than 70,000 members through various centres, whose number is 62, spread all over India and abroad. The Institution provides leadership in Scientific and Technical areas of direct importance to the national development and economy. Government of India has recognised IETE as a Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (SIRO) and also notified as an educational Institution of national eminence. The objectives of IETE focus on advancing electro-technology. The IETE conducts and sponsors technical meetings, conferences, symposia, and exhibitions all over India, publishes technical journals and provides continuing education as well as career advancement opportunities to its members.

Government trying to censor blogging?

By R Shankar, India Syndicate, 22/03/2011
Govt trying to censor blogging?
Is the Indian Government snooping on bloggers? Is a worried and nervous government trying to censor what bloggers write? Will the government snip uncomfortable opinion or comments?

Coming soon after the infamous Radia tapes where the government eves-dropped on corporate communication in hotel rooms and other private spaces, the issue was raised in the Rajya Sabha by Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Tuesday during the Zero Hour.

Said Chandrasekhar: "Indian bloggers are vibrant stakeholders of democracy, they represent young thoughts and their initiatives play an important role in the Indian political system. Youth rely on the phenomenon called blogging for news, to exchange ideas, thoughts and there should no censorship or control of thought on the Internet".

He urged the Government "to prevent any form of censorship, any form of control over blogs, bloggers and Internet"

A member of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology, Chandrasekhar pointed out to media reports that said that the Government was proposing to block or shut down blogs as well as bloggers if the opinions posted in them do not suit Government, institutions or individuals.

He said the move is one sided as the Government was planning to publish new rules in the Official Gazette under the Information Technology (Amendment) Act 2009 without inviting public opinion.

The rules, if they come into force, "will infringe upon the Right to Freedom of Expression of the bloggers and users of the internet - as the internet has become an essential part of our daily life," said the MP.

The new rules are ready to be notified in the Official Gazette and then these rules will come into force, he said.

The rules require intermediaries such as service providers not to host or publish any information, which in the context of the internet, does include bloggers.

Additionally, the rules propose to authorise the intermediaries to remove access to 'infringing' material if they themselves gave actual knowledge or are asked to do so by a mandated authority.

"The execution of these rules in its existing form will be a blow to the vibrant blogging community and bloggers. It could result in a shutting down of the internet, which is the main form of expression for growing Indians, if the information posted is found inconvenient to Government, institutions or individuals. This is certainly against our basic democratic principles," he added.

Chandrasekhar urged the Government to be transparent by inviting public opinion and involve the blogging community before finalising and implementing these rules.
Source: India Syndicate
Govt trying to censor blogging?
Comment: Success of Citizens movement like in Syria, Egypt, Libya, Yemen, Tunsia, Bahrain and other ME Nations ruled by dictators/ Shiekh Royal Families is directly derived from the power of the Internet Social Networking medium. Is our country choosing to curb the Freedom of Speech or is it getting nervous? Are we heading towards a full fledged banana/ fake republic/ democracy in totality? Should it not focus on Governance and enable Democracy? It is not Governance deficit but total lack of Governance that is breeding criminals. What about Electoral/ Police/ Judicial reforms? What about passing Lok Pal Bill without dilution? Does every village have access to clean drinking water? Do we have 24 hour assured electricity in all the villages? What about implementation of RTE in all the states? The Bureaucrats seem to be misleading the Nation and misguiding the Politicians to suppress Citizen Movements working for a vibrant democracy.

Corps of Signals: 14th Reunion in 1 STC, Jabalpur

Centenary Celebrations: Photos of Passing out Parade, opening of Girls Hostel and Exibition Hockey Match












Click here to view the Report and Photographs of the 14th Reunion and Centenary Celebrations- New Blog

Corps of Signals: 14th Reunion in 1 STC, Jabalpur

CORPS OF SIGNALS CENTENARY CELEBRATIONS AND 14TH REUNION
The Corps of Signals was raised on 15 Feb 1911 and will be celebrating its centenary on 15 Feb 2011. The journey of hundred years has been a saga of rich heritage, technological excellence, modernisation, brotherhood and pure soldiering. Several functions in various military stations throughout the Centenary Year (2010-2011) had maximum participation of serving and retired personnel. The final part of the celebrations will culminate in the 14th Reunion which will enable old comrades to renew and maintain contacts with each other and to honour and pay homage to our heroes. This is being held in 1 STC, Jabalpur and is an excellent expedient to inculcate a sense of tradition and espirt-de-corps. To this end, Signal Officer in Chief and Senior Colonel Commandant Lt Gen P Mohapatra, PVSM, AVSM, ADC and Brig SK Pillai, VSM Commandant 1 STC have planned the 14th Reunion Celebrations- a three day packed with events- for a Galaxy of serving and veterans of the Corps of Signals to showcase the past and present. These spectacular events will be unfolded on the three days from 13th Feb to 15 Feb 2011.

Click here to view the Report and Photographs of the 14th Reunion and Centenary Celebrations- New Blog

Corps of Signals- TV Panel Discussion

On the occasion of Centenary of Corps of Signals, “Day And Night News” TV Channel, Chandigarh, will telecast a discussion on Corps of Signals, as part of their program Defence Line. The details are as under:

Date and Timing
12 Feb 2011 Saturday at 9-30 PM
13 Feb 2011 Sunday at 1-30 PM

Participants
Lt Gen Harbhajan Singh, PVSM (Retd) former SO-in-C
Maj Gen Amarjit Singh Kahlon (Retd)
Maj Gen Sudesh Kumar (Retd)

TV Channel Day and Night News, Chandigarh- Platforms:
Dish TV- Channel 611
Big TV- Channel 462
Videocon- Channel 311
BSNL- Channel 75
Using a computer- Log on,‘youtube.com’ and search for after 12-2-2011 “Defence line-12-2-2011.”

Duration: 30 minutes approx
Harbhajan Singh
Lt Gen
Signal Officer-in-Chief and Senior Col Commandant 1988-91

PS
The Program can be seen on YouTube in two links below:

Part-1: Defence Line - 'Nerves' Of The Army - 12th Feb 2011

Part-2: Defence Line - 'Nerves' Of The Army - 12th Feb 2011

Corps of Signals Centenary Celebrations at MHOW

Corps of Signals Centenary celebrations were held at Mhow on 30 Sep and 01 Oct 2010. It was a double bonhomie because 01 Oct also happens to be the anniversary of MCTE, which completed 64 years of its existence on that day. A good number of former Commandants, Faculty Commanders and Instructors graced the occasion.

The first event was on 30 Sep 2010 at the famous Hema Ranges where an Air Show was held by the Army Aero Nodal Centre, Mhow. The AANC team put up a thrilling Air Show using five Microlight aircraft's and two Power Hang Gliders. The sky-diving team led by Lt Col Satyendra Verma, through their free fall and para-drops, made the event spectacular, showcasing their skills and daredevilry.

By 10 am, everybody was seated at the Garrison ground where the Corps of Signals Kalaripayattu and Taekwondo teams, Silent Drill Contingent and DR Display Team exhibited their expertise. Lt Col Satyendra Verma and Hav Parkhe sky-dived from a helicopter flying at 5000 ft. The landing which was perfect and at the centre of the Garrison ground received a big applause from the vast gathering. Lt Gen P Mohapatra, AVSM, ADC, SO-in-C and Senior Col Comdt was the Chief host.

Since the entire who’s who of Mhow were invited to witness the show, the Garrison ground was packed to the capacity. The spectators went home happy with their spirits heightened.

In the evening a social was organized at Milan. This venue for most of the guests was a sweet reminder of the yesteryears, when it used to be a plunge bath, till as late as Oct 1996. The old-timers still recall visiting the pool during Holi celebrations.

On 01 Oct, the MCTE raising day, an exhibition volleyball match was organized at the Airfield grounds. The match was played between 1 STC and Corps of Signals Team. Though the Corps team scored victory by a 3.0 margin, the sportsman spirit of the Signals was the ultimate winner.

After the match, everyone assembled at the College HQ Complex. The officers and ladies were ushered in to the Iyappa Hall (which serves as an auditorium) for the briefing and presentations. Lt Gen VK Sharma, Comdt MCTE and Col Comdt welcomed the guests to MCTE and thanked his predecessors for having built the College, brick by brick, to the level where it stands today.

Maj Gen GS Bisht, Dy Comdt MCTE welcoming the veterans to the College, gave out a brief presentation on the history of the Alma mater and highlighted the major milestones in its journey of 64 years. His presentation was followed by a short film on the College.

It was indeed a blending of the past with the present at the MCTE. Since all officers and their wives had been a part of the Alma mater at some time or the other. Some of them had done three tenures as instructors and as many as five courses

The visitors were then taken around the College so that they could correlate the past to the present through the class rooms, offices, labs, living accommodation. The old-timers were really lost in the web of time but it was an instant waking up to see the changes, so lively and so real

A Central Barakhana for all the guests was organized at the Football Grounds. The Corps Band was in attendance. In the evening a social was held in the HQ Officers’ Mess. Senior serving and retired officers and selected high ranking civilian dignitaries of Mhow and Indore were also invited. The night of 1st Oct, at the highest point of the ridge, where

the Lone Tree still stands strong, was charged with lot of bonhomie, fervor and esprit de corps.

This brought down the curtain upon the Mhow chapter of the Centenary celebrations. The presence of three Cols Comdt, former MCTE Comdts, Maj Gen (Retd) BS Paintal, Maj Gen (Retd) Shyamal Ghosh, Lt Gen (Retd) SK Dovedy, AVSM, Lt Gen (Retd) MK Ghosh, PVSM, AVSM, Lt Gen (Retd) Sudhir Kumar, PVSM, Lt Gen (Retd) RL Magotra, PVSM, VSM, Lt Gen (Retd) MG Datar, VSM, Lt Gen (Retd) SP Sree Kumar, PVSM, AVSM and Lt Gen (Retd) YS Panwar, AVSM,VSM and former SO-in-C Lt Gen (Retd) PGokarn, PVSM, AVSM and other senior officers made the celebrations really a once-in-a century event.

After the centenary year proceedings were launched at the Vigyan Bhawan by the Hon’ble President of India, on 15 Feb 2010, Mhow get-together was a major central function. The next venue is 2 STC, Goa, which hosts the Centenary events on 15 and 16 Nov 2010. Delhi would see some special events in Jan and Feb 2011, before all roads lead to and merge at 1 STC, Jabalpur to make it the grand finale and centenary REUNION from 13 to 15 Feb 2011.
Slideshow: click here to view 41 photos

A phone application that threatens security

Press Trust of India, Updated: October 04, 2010 09:58 IST
London: A cheap mobile phone application that can track the precise location of passenger aircraft in the sky can be a serious terrorist threat, security experts have claimed and called for its immediate ban.

The Plane Finder AR application, developed by a British firm for the Apple iPhone and Google's Android, allows users to point their phone at the sky and see the position, height and speed of nearby aircraft.

It also shows the airline, flight number, departure point, destination and even the likely course-the features which could be used to target an aircraft with a surface-to-air missile, or to direct another plane on to a collision course, the 'Daily Mail' reported.

The programme, sold for just 1.79 pounds in the online Apple store, has now been labelled an 'aid to terrorists' by security experts and the US Department of Homeland Security

Read more at: A phone application that threatens security

Qualcomm: The Future is an Internet of Everything

Paul Jacobs, Chairman and CEO, Qualcomm
Qualcomm based in San Diego California invented CDMA Technology. They proved the technology in New Delhi in collaboration with BSNL. The Company Celebrates 25 years of existence.

The Future is an Internet of Everything
Wireless has become the largest technology platform in human history and Qualcomm is the world leader in the development of the underlying technologies that enable next-generation mobile devices and experiences. As it celebrates its 25th anniversary, San Diego-based Qualcomm continues to drive the evolution of wireless worldwide and accelerate mobile growth and progress by pioneering exciting new solutions that are redefining what is possible in mobile.

This session highlights Qualcomm's vision for an "Internet of Everything" and what the Company is doing now to make vision of a totally connected world possible. Among the topics and trends expected to be covered are augmented reality, mobile social networking and recommendations, opportunities in emerging markets, wireless health, Qualcomm's breakthrough screen display technology, advanced network topology and of course, next-generation wireless air interfaces.

Milestones
A Qualcomm Quarter-Century By Joseph Perkins1985: Qualcomm founded in the den of former UCSD professor Irwin Jacobs’ La Jolla home.
1986: Files for a patent on using code division multiple access (CDMA) for mobile communications.
1987: Qualcomm records $6.5 million in revenue and $208,000 in net income for first full year.
1988: Introduces first commercial product, OmniTRACS, a satellite tracking system used by long-haul trucking companies.
1989: Brings some 250 cell phone executives to San Diego to demonstrate its CDMA technology, which allows 10 times more calls in the same amount of radio spectrum as a competing cellular technology.
1991: IPO raises $73.6 million. Trades on the NASDAQ exchange under the ticker symbol QCOM.
1993: CDMA is adopted by the Telecommunications Industry Association as a North American digital standard for cell phones.
1997: Pays $18 million to rename the San Diego Chargers' home to Qualcomm Stadium.
1998: Spins off Leap Wireless, today the nation’s seventh largest wireless carrier, on the strength of its subsidiary, Cricket Wireless.
1999: Joins the exalted ranks of both the Fortune 500 and S&P 500.
1999: Stock price increases an exponential 2,619 percent in a 12-month period, as several dozen local investors become “Quillionaires.”
2004: Creates MediaFLO division, which uses Qualcomm technology to transmit video and data to mobile devices, enabling users to watch live television on their cell phones.
2005: Irwin Jacobs retires as CEO, succeeded by Paul Jacobs, his third son.
2005: Becomes the world’s largest mobile chipset provider.
2010: San Diego’s largest company celebrates its 25th anniversary, with more than 16,000 employees worldwide and market capitalization of $60 billion.

5 Things You Didn't Know About Qualcomm
•Qualcomm stands for Quality Communications.
•Chairman and CEO Paul Jacobs boasts more patents than his father, founder Irwin Jacobs.
•Famed actress Hedy Lamarr was co-inventor of the technology that led to Qualcomm’s commercial development of CDMA, the nation’s cellular communications standard.
•Qualcomm’s first office was in a humble La Jolla strip mall, above a dry cleaner and pizza parlor, in Holiday Court off La Jolla Village Drive.
•Hal and Jeff Jacobs, second and fourth sons of founder Irwin, are members of the Pelican Group, a San Diego production company that helped bankroll the hit Broadway musical Jersey Boys
A Qualcomm Quarter-Century
More about Qualcomm- Click here

National Security: Information and Cyber Warfare

The Tribune Tuesday, July 13, 2010, Chandigarh, India
Information Warfare
Decision makers should log-on to the nuances
Vulnerable information networks can adversely affect national security and create utter chaos. Safeguarding them is critical and the country ought to move fast to secure its cyber assets as potential adversaries already have an edge
Lt Gen Harbhajan Singh (Retd)
"For to win one hundred victories in one hundred battles is not the acme of skill. To subdue the enemy without fighting is the acme of skill." So said noted Chinese military strategist and philosopher Sun Tzu. No doubt what he meant was ways to outwit and outmaneuver the enemy without resorting to arms.

Today this translates to a type of warfare dominated by the use and manipulation of information and information networks and subversion of data to one's own advantage, thereby bringing down an enemy by without actually firing a shot.

Information warfare is the offensive and defensive use of information and information systems to deny, exploit, corrupt, or destroy, an adversary's information, information-based processes, information systems, and computer-based networks while protecting one's own. Such actions are designed to achieve advantages over military, political or business adversaries.

One of the prime aims of Information warfare is to so manage the perception of the enemy top decision makers and even its people, that a nation's aims are met without recourse to war.

We are living in the Information Age. The means of gathering and disseminating information are exploding -- TV, Internet, media, news on cell phones, e-newspapers and e-books are available at home, in the work place and even on the move. The maxim, 'seeing is believing' has made TV very powerful in forming opinions and perceptions. Internet is another means used extensively. These are already being used as vehicles for information and disinformation. Since information is such a powerful tool, contesting entities, may they be nations, politicians, economic czars, terrorist organizations try and exploit its use and deny the same to the adversary. This leads to Information Warfare.

The terminology "Information Warfare" covers propaganda or disinformation leading to "perception management", which is making the targeted people believe, what you want them to believe. This is used both during peace and war, in diplomacy, politics, and economic relations and even in sports (pre match sound bytes!!). Before important international conferences, news leaks by unnamed representatives are commonly used to put pressure on the other side. The propaganda blitz during elections is also common the world over.

In a war scenario, information warfare starts much earlier, even before war clouds start to build. The warring nations may try and project their policy and strengths through speeches, press releases, pictures of their armed forces and so on. Aim being not only to detract the enemy from his plans and thinking but also to mould a favorable international opinion, in particular of international power centers, so important in today's world. The aim may be to see if the national objectives can be met or facilitated through information warfare and actual war avoided. On the other hand some powerful nations may use this to justify to their own people and the world at large going to war!

In any kind of warfare, there are both the offensive and defensive aspects. The aim has to be having an overwhelming edge on the adversary in propaganda. The offensive part also includes using electronic and ballistic means to disable or destroy enemy's TV and radio stations or jamming them.

This aspect of Information warfare has to be planned and coordinated at the highest level as part of national strategy. What to project at what time and how. In our case, the PMO will have to get involved.

In a war situation, Information warfare operations are to be undertaken, in the military arena; propaganda/perception management being a part and parcel. The armed forces today depend heavily on electronic systems, including communications, surveillance devices (satellites, radars, UAVs), weapon systems (missiles, rockets, guns), air and naval operations and electronic warfare. Information or intelligence is passed instantaneously, processed and disseminated speedily. Plans and orders issued and their implementation monitored leading to Network Centric Warfare. All such systems heavily depend on use of computers.

Information warfare is also integral part of deception. Use of computers enables doctoring of images quite realistically. This can help in projecting troops, aircraft, ships and weapon systems where they are not. According to Sun Zu, All warfare is based on deception.

Over 70 per cent of all intelligence is derived using electronic interceptions, both in peace and war. The aim has to be to make the battlefield transparent to own forces and blind the enemy. This is one of the prime objectives of information operations during war.

Disabling or doctoring enemy's computer based systems while ensuring use of the same by own forces is a critical aspect of information operations. This is also termed cyber warfare. However, cyber warfare is not restricted to armed forces networks but includes all national critical resources like transportation, water supply, law and order, telecommunications, financial systems (banking, stock markets), news media, medical etc. In short all systems which can adversely affect the war effort, the lives of people and thus create chaos. Safeguarding all such systems is critical to overall war effort.

Cyber warfare covers hacking and spread of viruses. The worst is to doctor the functioning of systems so that these get out of control. There are many reports of Indian and American computer systems being hacked. The fingers point invariably towards China, which has taken cyber warfare very seriously and made it a pillar of its strategy. It has raised a number of cyber warfare divisions.

India has also set up some organisations to counter these threats, both at national and military levels but much more needs to be done and fast. India has the required brains and technical resources. What is needed is the national will and according required priority and resources.

Our political leaders and bureaucrats who are the ultimate decision makers need to be well versed in the nuances of this new form of warfare. As of now, our potential adversaries have a big edge.
(The author is a former Signals Officer-in-Chief of the Indian Army)
Information Warfare: Decision makers should log-on to the nuances

How Indian Entrepreneurs have circumnavigated Government hurdles to IT Development

The innovation revolution livemint.com The Wall Street Journal
Emerging India has evolved from the world’s back office into a knowledge and innovation hub. In the next decade, expect benefits for not just the nation but the global economy by Vivek Wadhwa
The ability of Indian entrepreneurs to rise above all the hurdles the government and society throw at them. Just as India’s companies install their own power generators to deal with supply problems and purification plants to provide clean water, they have built their own surrogate education system. And herein lies India’s greatest innovation: Its companies have developed the ability to take the output of a weak education system and turn these workers into R&D specialists who can compete in the global arena.

Faced with severe talent shortages, escalating salaries and a lagging education system, Indian industry had to rethink the way it recruited, trained, developed and retained its workforce. It started by adapting the best practices of companies that were outsourcing R&D to India. Then, leading companies in diverse industries started improving on these techniques and methods; refining and integrating them into a unified system.

With the economic slowdown, Indian talent supply has been able to catch up with demand. And Western companies are more desperate than ever to cut costs.

To achieve the 30-40% cost savings that Indian outsourcers can offer, they are now outsourcing their most strategic internal systems. Additionally, thanks to a combination of the recession in the US and that country’s flawed immigration policies, there is a flood of highly educated and skilled talent returning home to India.

They see more opportunity in India than abroad, and want to be near family and friends. They are returning with the latest skills and an understanding of foreign markets.

So the stars are lining up for Indian outsourcing, and this industry is gaining a second wind.

Within a decade, India is likely to become the world’s second-largest R&D centre after the US. Its innovations will likely benefit not only India, but also the world.

Vivek Wadhwa is executive in residence/adjunct professor at the Pratt School of Engineering at Duke University and a senior research associate with the Labor and Worklife Program at Harvard Law School.
Read the full article on how Government hurdles have been bypassed:
The innovation revolution

US appoints first cyber warfare general

Pentagon creates specialist online unit to counter cyber attack amid growing fears of militarisation of the internet
Peter Beaumont, foreign affairs editor The Observer, Sunday 23 May 2010

The Pentagon is channelling a growing volume of troops and resources into countering cyber warfare. Photograph: Mike Nelson/AFP/Getty Images

The US military has appointed its first senior general to direct cyber warfare – despite fears that the move marks another stage in the militarisation of cyberspace.

The newly promoted four-star general, Keith Alexander, takes charge of the Pentagon's ambitious and controversial new Cyber Command, designed to conduct virtual combat across the world's computer networks. He was appointed on Friday afternoon in a low-key ceremony at Fort Meade, in Maryland.

The creation of America's most senior cyber warrior comes just days after the US air force disclosed that some 30,000 of its troops had been re-assigned from technical support "to the frontlines of cyber warfare".

The creation of Cyber Command is in response to increasing anxiety over the vulnerability of the US's military and other networks to a cyber attack.

James Miller, the deputy under-secretary of defence for policy, has hinted that the US might consider a conventional military response to certain kinds of online attack.

Although Alexander pledged during his confirmation hearings before the Senate committee on armed services last month that Cyber Command would not contribute to the militarisation of cyberspace, the committee's chairman, Senator Carl Levin expressed concern that both Pentagon doctrine, and the legal framework for online operations, had failed to keep pace with rapid advances in cyber warfare.

In particular Levin voiced concern that US cyber operations to combat online threats to the US, routed through neutral third countries, "could have broad and damaging consequences" to wider American interests.

Plans for Cyber Command were originally conceived under President George W Bush. Since taking office Barack Obama has embraced the theme of cyber security, describing it last year as "one of the most serious economic and national security challenges [the US faces] as a nation".

During his confirmation hearing, Alexander said that the Pentagon's networks were being targeted by "hundreds of thousands of probes every day" adding that he had "been alarmed by the increase, especially in this year".

Cyber warfare has increased rapidly in scale and sophistication with China accused of being at the forefront of prominent recent attacks, including the targeting of Google and 20 other companies last year as well as "Titan Rain" in 2003 – a series of coordinated attacks on US networks. Russian and North Korean hackers have also been accused of large-scale attacks.

Moscow was accused of being behind a massive cyber assault on Estonia in 2007 – the second largest cyber warfare operation ever conducted.

While Alexander has tried to play down the offensive aspects of his command, the Pentagon has been more explicit, stating on Friday that Cyber Command will "direct the operations and defence of specified Department of Defense information networks [involving some 90,000 military personnel] and prepare to, when directed, conduct full-spectrum military cyberspace operations in order to enable actions in all domains, [to] ensure US allied freedom of action in cyberspace and deny the same to our adversaries."

The complex issues facing Cyber Command were thrown into relief earlier this year when the Washington Post revealed details of a so-called "dot-mil" operation by Fort Meade's cyber warfare unit, backed by Alexander, to shut down a "honeytrap website" set up by the Saudis and the CIA to target Islamist extremists planning attacks in Saudi Arabia.

The Pentagon became convinced that the forum was being used to co-ordinate the entry of jihadi fighters into Iraq.

Despite the strong objections of the CIA, the site was attacked by the Fort Meade cyber warfare unit. As a result, some 300 other servers in the Saudi kingdom, Germany and Texas also were inadvertently shut down.

Of equally concern to those who had opposed the operation, it was conducted without informing key members of the Saudi royal family, who were reported to be "furious" that a counter-terrorism tool had been shut down.

The issue of cyber warfare – and how to combat it – has become an increasingly fraught one.

The need to have electronic warfare capabilities, say those who support them, has been proven repeatedly by the apparent success of hostile attacks on government networks, including last year's massive denial of service assault on networks in both the US and Korea.

Last year, hackers also accessed large amounts of sensitive data concerning the Pentagon's Joint Strike Fighter programme.

The difficulties facing the new command were underlined in March by former CIA director Michael V Hayden, who said that the Saudi operation had demonstrated that cyber warfare techniques were evolving so rapidly that they were now outpacing the government's ability to develop coherent policies to guide its use.

"Cyber was moving so fast that we were always in danger of building up precedent before we built up policy," Hayden said.
US appoints first cyber warfare general: Pentagon creates specialist online unit to counter cyber attack amid growing fears of militarisation of the internet.

Article of Interest
From the May- June 2010 issue: The American Interest: The Return of the Raj by C. Raja Mohan

Jairam Ramesh and the assassin's mace

This write up deals with Cyber/ Electronic Warfare. It will be of great interest to Signal Officers

Bhaskar Roy | 2010-05-13 20:17:36
What Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh said in Beijing on the evening of May 8 must alarm India's security establishment.

For no apparent reason, Ramesh told a group of journalists that the policies of the Home and Defence Ministries, and other Indian security agencies towards China were "overly defensive", "alarmist" and "paranoid", and could freeze relations between the two countries.

Jairam Ramesh was talking about unverified reports that the Chinese telecommunication company Huawei technologies was being blocked from expanding its business because of India's Home Ministry and other security agencies. Ramesh came across as acting as an advocate of China or its telecommunication company.

Ramesh offers to resign, PM turns it down
China's telecommunication and informatization warfare is known as the "Assassin's Mace" weapon. This is an ancient warfare tactic, where an agent is embedded in an adversary's nerve center, to act on remote-controlled signal.

The US had done this through export of electronically controlled oil pipeline control systems in Russia. They also used the tactic during the first Iraq war, and neutralized Saddam Hussein's electronic and computer command-and-communications equipment, supplied earlier by US companies.

More by Bhaskar Roy
The same thing can be done with electronically-operated port and airport facilities, including waterworks. This does not mean India has to close everything to foreign participation. But decisions must be taken on companies and countries that have suspect track records.

The other question that raises red flags is why China is so insistent on access to India's telecommunication sector, ports and airports, and projects along the borders.

The Chinese have sophisticated ways of finding out the weaknesses of foreign interlocutors, and using these to influence them. Their methods include using women, wining and dining, paying attention to the interlocutor's frustrations and pampering his or her ego. "You are the greatest and you are our friend, and you can do it for both of us", is a popular line.
Jairam Ramesh needs to study China's strategy of deception. Thanks to his gaffe, India has been severely harmed.

Bhaskar Roy, who retired recently as a senior government official with decades of national and international experience, is an expert on international relations and Indian strategic interests.

Read the full article:
Jairam Ramesh and the assassin's mace

Related article
US Army Reorganizes Training for Intelligence Units

India's first defence university to come up near Delhi

New Delhi: Drawing lessons from the 1999 Kargil conflict, the government on Thursday decided to set up the first defence university in the country to enable holistic study of defence and strategic security challenges.

A meeting of the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, accorded "in principle" approval to set up the Indian National Defence University (INDU) near Delhi, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni told reporters here.

To be established at an estimated cost of Rs 300 crore, the university would come up on a 200 acre land at Binola in Gurgaon, Haryana. A sum of Rs 100 crore has been earmarked for acquisition of the land.

The existing defence educational institutions like the National Defence College in New Delhi, College of Defence Management at Secunderabad, National Staff College at Wellington and National Defence Academy in Pune, would be affiliated to INDU. At present, these institutions are attached to various universities.

"INDU will undertake long-term defence and strategic studies and create synergy between the academic community and government functionaries," Soni said.

The proposed university, which would be fully autonomous and constituted under an Act of Parliament, would promote policy-oriented research on all aspects of national security as part of the strategic national policy-making, she said.

"It will encourage awareness of national security issues by reaching out to scholars and an audience beyond the official machinery," Soni said.

INDU would educate national security leaders on all aspects of national strategies in the fields of security, military, information and technology, through teaching and research, she added.

After the Kargil conflict, the government had set up a Review Committee, headed by eminent strategic expert K Subrahmanyam, which had recommended establishment of such a university to exclusively deal with defence and strategic matters.

The Committee had also recommended finding of ways and means to integrate the academic community, armed forces, paramilitary forces, intelligence agencies and the bureaucracy in strategic security policy making and related issues. Source: PTI
India's first defence university to come up near Delhi

Time for Indian Military to have its official blogs

Sunday, May 9, 2010
US Navy starts its official blog
The US Secretary of the Navy, Ray Mabus, inaugurated the US Navy’s official blog recently : Navy Live

The effort seems refreshing in the military blogosphere more so in the light of the free and frank discussion between various participants including the Secretary. An example can be seen by clicking here.

The blog seems in line with the thought process of militaries of (mostly) democracies in shedding the cloak (or more appropriately the burden) of secrecy, especially on societal and administrative issues. Such a medium is also sometimes essential keeping in view the fact that sometimes the pulse of service-members does not reach the right levels of the hierarchy due to layers and layers of officialdom and red-tape.

The US Navy is available officially also on twitter, flickr, youtube and facebook.
Way to go.
Posted by Navdeep / Maj Navdeep Singh at 5:06 AM

Armed Forces to accelerate Network Centric Systems

18:48 IST
The Minister of State for Defence Dr. MM Pallam Raju has called upon the armed forces to take advantage of the economic downturn and utilize the idle capacity in the IT industry to expedite their computerization and network centric systems. Presiding over the 4th meeting of the Defence IT Consultative Committee (DITCC) here today he exhorted the industry and academia to come up with fresh ideas and proposals to bring the defence services at the forefront of Information and Communication Technology (ICT).

Expressing satisfaction over the progress in the ICT roadmap of the three Services for the last fiscal, Dr Pallam Raju hoped that the forces will sustain the endeavour started by the DITCC in the coming years.
Pallam Raju preside over 4th meeting of Defence I.T. Consultative Committee

National e-governance status
Critics argue that crores of rupees have already been spent on e-governance projects and the citizen has not gained any major benefit. There is still no consensus about the deployment of open source and proprietary software. Complaints regarding IT implementation are surfacing one by one.
We are over two decades behind most of the Asian Nations (except for nations like Bangladesh, Pakistan, Burma and Thailand) and are likely to slide further because of spokes generated by corrupt bureaucrats in the implementation of e-governance at National Level.

Corruption kills creativity in developing nations

Friday, July 10, 2009
Here is what America's immigrant billionaires are made of
Devon Pendleton, Forbes

When New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg welcomed visitors to the newly accessible crown of the Statue of Liberty recently, he paid special tribute to the millions of immigrants who passed by the icon en route to America."The great business formations taking place today are done by people who value the opportunities that America gives them," the city's billionaire chief executive said.

Bloomberg was born in Boston, but dozens of his comrades on the Forbes list of the 400 Richest Americans immigrated to the U.S. armed only with creativity, energy and fierce ambition. Decades later they've built empires in technology, media, real estate and health care, created thousands of jobs and contributed billions of dollars to the U.S. economy.

Grocer and property baron John Catsimatidis, whose parents immigrated from Greece when he was six months old, credits his hardworking father for setting an example of what it takes to be successful."Growing up, my dad worked seven days a week as a busboy," he says. "There was no room for failure, that was instilled in me from the beginning."

Catsimatidis took a job as a grocery store clerk while studying at NYU, and dropped out in his senior year after a friend offered him a chance to buy a piece of his family's store. Catsimatidis owned 10 markets by age 24 and was making $25 million a year in revenue. He plowed $5 million into Manhattan real estate in 1977, and today owns hundreds of millions of dollars of property around the country.

"There is no question that there's a connection between one's drive and search for opportunities and having a foreign beginning," says California real estate magnate Igor Olenicoff. This is particularly true if your early years were spent in a poor country with a strong class system, he says. Olenicoff's Russian family fled to Iran after the 1917 Revolution.

Within Iranian society, "we would never be able to excel or achieve wealth," Olenicoff recalls. It was a sharp contrast to the U.S., where Olenicoff found opportunity--and credit--in abundance when he arrived in 1956.

Both Catsimatidis and Olenicoff say it's tough to instill the ambition and scrappiness bestowed on them by their foreign roots in their children, who have been raised with all the benefits--and trappings--of wealth. "To this day I go around the apartment shutting off lights at night," Catsimatidis says. "Until recently I cleaned my own plate. My kids wouldn't do that."

Tech-savvy immigrants have had a particularly profound impact on today's hyper-connected world. Had Google ( GOOG - news - people ) co-founder Sergey Brin not moved with his family from Moscow to Maryland in 1979, his fortuitous partnership with Larry Page and their subsequent founding of the world's most influential Internet company might never have happened.

Also crucial to Google's success is Iranian immigrant Omid Kordestani, often called the company's "business founder" for his success transforming Google's brand into a mainstream verb.

Yahoo was also the brainchild of foreign-born talent: co-founder Jerry Yang moved to California from Taiwan with his mother and brother in 1978. Ten years old at the time, Yang claims to have known only one word of English. Today he's worth more than $1 billion.
Here is what America's immigrant billionaires are made of

Follow NRN, Singapore Minister tells Indian leaders

Tuesday, May 12, 2009 Singapore
Singapore's Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew has exhorted Indian political leaders to follow the ideals cherished by Infosys founder NR Narayana Murthy in order to set the country on a rapid trajectory of high growth and development.

Describing Narayana Murthy as an "exceptional" entrepreneur, Lee hailed his contribution to the phenomenal success of the information technology sector in India, extolling his humility, social awareness and simple living habits as qualities to be emulated.

"If all Indian ministers and top bureaucrats were like him- hard-working, tough taskmasters, hard negotiators, but always forward-looking- India will be one of the fastest growing countries in the world, and in one generation, will become a First World country," Lee exhorted Monday.

Lee, the founder of modern Singapore and the man behind the city-state's phenomenal success story, was speaking at the launch of Narayana Murthy's recent book, "A Better India: A Better World," at a function at the Global Indian International School campus here.

But well aware of the scale of the task ahead in India, Lee said "no single person can change India's system of governance to become as efficient as Infosys." He also referred to the limitations in India's political process, which he said stop it from "going at high speed." "Whatever the political leadership wants to do, it must go through a very complex system at the centre, and then an even more complex system in the various states," he said.
Follow NRN, Singapore Minister tells Indian leaders

President wants soldiers to be ‘technology efficient’

The Hindu Sunday, Mar 22, 2009
— Photo: S. R. RaghunathanBEST PERFORMANCE: President Pratibha Patil honours a meritorious candidate at the passing out parade at the OTA in Chennai on Saturday.


CHENNAI: Modern warfare must necessarily incorporate measures to counter terrorism, President Pratibha Patil said here on Saturday.

Speaking after reviewing a passing-out parade at the Officers Training Academy here, at which 151 men and women were inducted into the Army, the President said terrorism posed a grave threat to global peace, stability and progress. The country was a victim of such attacks. This menace had to be tackled with determination and eradicated.

“During your training, you would have been sensitised about the external security scenario, particularly of our region,” Ms. Patil pointed out, adding that an understanding of the threat perceptions was important for the young officers’ preparedness in dealing with such challenges. The modern army was a knowledge-based force and application of science and information technology had become an integral part of defence preparedness and warfare. “In today’s knowledge-centric era, every soldier should be ‘technology efficient’, a requirement that highlights the need for better training and increased efficiency,” the President said.

Matter of pride
Turning her attention to women officers, she said it was a matter of pride that they had joined the Army after successfully completing the full training capsule in the first Short Service Course for Women. “It shows they have come a long way since our national freedom movement and today are standing, firm and determined, on the frontiers of the nation with matching zeal and enthusiasm.” She noted that youth from friendly countries — Afghanistan, Jamaica and Seychelles — were trained here and was confident the training would benefit their country and their friendship with Indian cadets would strengthen ties between the nations.

Medals presented
The President gave the Sword of Honour for the Best All Round Cadet and Silver Medal for standing second in order of merit to Prashant R.Pillai; the Gold Medal for standing first in order of merit to Shikha Bhaduria; and the Chief of Army Staff Banner to Jessami Company.

During the Pipping Ceremony she got down from the stage, walked around the lawn interacting with cadets, congratulating them and their parents and obliging children who wanted to be photographed with her.

General Deepak Kapoor, Chief of Army Staff, Governor Surjit Singh Barnala, members of the Diplomatic Corps were among the dignitaries present.

Prashant R.Pillai, hails from Pattanamthitta in Kerala and joined Indian Air Force as an Airman after completing Plus-Two. During his seven-year stint with IAF, he completed B.A. (History) through correspondence from Indira Gandhi National Open University.

Shikha Bhaduria, a physics graduate, belongs to Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh and comes from a family whose many members are in the armed forces. This is the first time that women were trained for nine months, on a par with men, ever since they were inducted for training in 1992, an OTA officer said.
President wants soldiers to be ‘technology efficient’

Corps of Signals- Happy Corps Day

Dear Signallers,
"REPORT MY SIGNAL"

WISHES YOU ALL AND YOUR FAMILIES
A VERY HAPPY CORPS DAY
HAVE A NICE DAY.
In Service of Indian Military Veterans
Chander Kamboj

We never get what we want,
We never want what we get,
We never have what we like,
We never like what we have,
Still we Live and Love.
This is Life........

Brig VA Subramanyam (Retd)

Job crunch may turn more youth to forces: Army chief

New Delhi, Jan 14 (IANS) There might be a silver lining to the global economic meltdown. The Indian Army hopes the the job crunch due to the financial crisis would help in restoring the draw of a stable career in the armed forces that are facing a shortage of middle-rung officers.Speaking to the media ahead of the 61st Army Day, Indian Army chief Gen. Deepak Kapoor Wednesday said the recession may result in more youngsters opting for armed forces as career.

“With the recession in the civil side, the demand to have career in the army in the service of the nation may go up. Besides we are taking a series of step so that people do not leave army and more numbers join it,” said Kapoor.

The army’s sanctioned strength is 46,615 officers but it faces a shortage of 11,238 officers.

The problem has further aggravated as about 3,000 army officers sought premature retirement in the last three years, with most of them moving to the lucrative corporate sector.

The army chief said the Sixth Pay Commission, which raised salaries for all government employees including those in the armed forces, has also helped in bringing down the number of people seeking premature retirement.

“Little bit of hope. Post Sixth Pay Commission announcement, there is somewhat of a declining trend in the number of people leaving the army. I see it as happy augury,” Kapoor said.

In a bid to bring down the number further and to attract an adequate number of people to the forces, the army plans to “liberalise the study leave rule” which will enable an officer to educate himself and improve his career chances after the army job.

The army will also open a second Officer Training Academy to increase the intake.

The army chief, however, clarified the deficiency will not affect the army’s contributions to the National Security Guards (NSG) and Assam Rifles.

The army will need to provide 3,000 more men, including 300-odd officers, to the NSG that will be establishing more hubs shortly in the wake of the Mumbai terrorist attacks.
Job crunch may turn more youth to forces: Army chief
Related Article
Time for a new deal for armed forces