- The Central government has issued a latest notification on December 20 authorizing 10 central agencies to intercept, monitor and decrypt all the data contained in any computer system.
- The order has been passed by the ‘cyber and information security’ division of the Ministry of Home Affairs under the authority of Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba.
- These 10 central probe and snoop agencies are now empowered under the Information Technology Act to ensure that computer interception and analysis is done as per the law.
- The Section 69 of the IT Act 2000 deals with the “power to issue directions for interception or monitoring or decryption of any information generated, transmitted, received or stored in any computer resource”.
Names of 10 agencies:
- Intelligence Bureau,
- Narcotics Control Bureau,
- Enforcement Directorate,
- Central Board of Direct Taxes,
- Directorate of Revenue Intelligence,
- Central Bureau of Investigation,
- National Investigation Agency,
- Research and Analysis Wing,
- Directorate of Signal Intelligence (in service areas of J-K, North East and Assam)
- Delhi Police