DRDO NETRA

Last updated

NETRA (NEtworking TRaffic Analysis) is a software network developed by India's Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (CAIR), a Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) laboratory, and is used by the Intelligence Bureau, India's domestic intelligence agency, [1] and the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW), the country's external intelligence agency to intercept and analyse internet traffic using pre-defined filters. [2] [3] The program was tested at smaller scales by various national security agencies, and is reported to be deployed nationwide as of 2022. [1] [4]

Contents

Development history

Security agencies were looking to build a system that could monitor Internet traffic on a real time basis due to the rapidly escalating threat posed by terrorist and criminal elements using data communication, which had brought service providers like BlackBerry, Skype and Gmail into the focus of law enforcement agencies. [5]

Two such systems were designed, one by DRDO's Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics, and the other by the National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO), which is India's technical intelligence agency. An inter-ministerial committee staffed by members from Ministry of Home Affairs, Intelligence Bureau, Department of Telecom, Department of IT, and National Investigation Agency was formed to evaluate both systems and to select one internet monitoring system. [5]

NTRO's system was designed with the help of Paladion, an international private company and NETRA was designed by a team of 40 scientists from CAIR. The committee selected CAIR's NETRA as it had multiple issues with NTRO's system. It had serious security reservations about involvement of an international private company in such a sensitive project, and had doubts about NTRO's ability to operate, maintain and upgrade their system independently. Also, RAW, which tested NTRO's system was not happy with the NTRO solution and reported that it crashed frequently. The committee favoured NETRA as it was an indigenous solution involving government scientists and personnel and no component of solution had been outsourced to an outside agency. The agency testing NETRA, the IB, was also pleased with its performance. The committee further observed that CAIR has been continuously investing in R&D to keep up with the fast-changing web technologies, unlike NTRO. [3] [5] The system was first demonstrated at the premises of Sify Technologies to capture the entire internet traffic passing through its probes. [3]

Capabilities

NETRA can analyse voice traffic passing through software such as Skype and Google Talk, and intercept messages with keywords such as 'attack', 'bomb', 'blast' or 'kill' in real-time [5] from the enormous number of tweets, status updates, emails, instant messaging transcripts, internet calls, blogs, forums and even images generated on the internet to obtain the desired intelligence. The system with RAW analyses large amount of international data which crosses through the internet networks in India. [1] [2] [3] Three security agencies, which include the IB and RAW, have each been allotted a maximum of 300 Gigabytes (GB) per node totaling more than 1000 nodes for storing intercepted internet traffic (so, there are 1000 nodes x 300GB = 300,000GB of total space is initially decided to set up.), and an extra 100 GB per node is assigned to the remaining law enforcement agencies. [1] [4]

Netra

The Internet Scanning and Coordination Centre will use this system to monitor the Internet, [3] similar to the ones used by USA, UK, China, Iran and many other nations. [1] [5] Initially, R&AW was the only current user of this monitoring system, but in 2013, the Ministry of Home Affairs recommended the use of a second NETRA system by domestic law enforcement agencies. This was done as the intelligence gathered by the external intelligence agency were largely irrelevant for the use by law enforcement agencies, and could not handle more data. [2] A note from the Department of Telecommunications (DOT) stated that the system can provide access to multiple security agencies. [1]

Netra's deployment was discussed in 2013 by an apex inter-ministerial group headed by DoT, and included representative from the Cabinet Secretariat, Ministry of Home Affairs, DRDO, CAIR, Intelligence Bureau, C-DoT and Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In). [1]

Awards and recognition

DRDO Scientist Dr. G. Athithan of CAIR and his team were awarded the 'Agni award for excellence in self-reliance 2008' for developing NETRA. The team comprised scientists from Indian Institute of Science, G.Ravindra and Rahul M. Kharge. [6] [7]

See also

Related Research Articles

GCHQ British signals intelligence agency

Government Communications Headquarters, commonly known as GCHQ, is an intelligence and security organisation responsible for providing signals intelligence (SIGINT) and information assurance (IA) to the government and armed forces of the United Kingdom. Based at "The Doughnut" in the suburbs of Cheltenham, GCHQ is the responsibility of the country's Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, but it is not a part of the Foreign Office and its Director ranks as a Permanent Secretary.

Telephone tapping is the monitoring of telephone and Internet-based conversations by a third party, often by covert means. The wire tap received its name because, historically, the monitoring connection was an actual electrical tap on the telephone line. Legal wiretapping by a government agency is also called lawful interception. Passive wiretapping monitors or records the traffic, while active wiretapping alters or otherwise affects it.

Computer and network surveillance is the monitoring of computer activity and data stored locally on a computer or data being transferred over computer networks such as the Internet. This monitoring is often carried out covertly and may be completed by governments, corporations, criminal organizations, or individuals. It may or may not be legal and may or may not require authorization from a court or other independent government agencies. Computer and network surveillance programs are widespread today and almost all Internet traffic can be monitored.

Mass surveillance Intricate surveillance of an entire or a substantial fraction of a population

Mass surveillance is the intricate surveillance of an entire or a substantial fraction of a population in order to monitor that group of citizens. The surveillance is often carried out by local and federal governments or governmental organizations, such as organizations like the NSA and the FBI, but it may also be carried out by corporations. Depending on each nation's laws and judicial systems, the legality of and the permission required to engage in mass surveillance varies. It is the single most indicative distinguishing trait of totalitarian regimes. It is also often distinguished from targeted surveillance.

Deep packet inspection (DPI) is a type of data processing that inspects in detail the data being sent over a computer network, and may take actions such as alerting, blocking, re-routing, or logging it accordingly. Deep packet inspection is often used to baseline application behavior, analyze network usage, troubleshoot network performance, ensure that data is in the correct format, check for malicious code, eavesdropping, and internet censorship, among other purposes. There are multiple headers for IP packets; network equipment only needs to use the first of these for normal operation, but use of the second header is normally considered to be shallow packet inspection despite this definition.

Defence Research and Development Organisation Government agency in India

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is the premier agency under the Department of Defence Research and Development in Ministry of Defence of the Government of India, charged with the military's research and development, headquartered in Delhi, India. It was formed in 1958 by the merger of the Technical Development Establishment and the Directorate of Technical Development and Production of the Indian Ordnance Factories with the Defence Science Organisation. Subsequently, Defence Research & Development Service (DRDS) was constituted in 1979 as a service of Group 'A' Officers / Scientists directly under the administrative control of Ministry of Defence.

The Aviation Research Centre (ARC) is India’s imaging-intelligence organisation, a part of the Directorate General of Security, run by the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW). It started functioning in November 1962, in the wake of the Sino-Indian War, as an extension of the Intelligence Bureau, but placed under the Ministry of External Affairs. It was formally created on 7 September 1963, with R. N. Kao as Director and Acting Group Captain Lal Singh Grewal as Operations Manager at Charbatia air base. It was later moved to the Prime Minister's Secretariat, and in February 1965, along with Special Frontier Force and Special Service Bureau, was brought under the Directorate General of Security in the Cabinet Secretariat. ARC was initially a temporary and ad hoc organisation, but was made permanent in 1971. Over the years, ARC had grown into a large operation and flies a large and varied fleet that until recently included the high-flying Mach 3 capable Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25.

National Technical Research Organisation

The National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO) is a technical intelligence Agency under the National Security Advisor in the Prime Minister's Office, India. It was set up in 2004.

The Indian Telegraph Act, 1885 is the enabling legislation in India which governs the use of wired and wireless telegraphy, telephones, teletype, radio communications and digital data communications. It gives the Government of India exclusive jurisdiction and privileges for establishing, maintaining, operating, licensing and oversight of all forms of wired and wireless communications within Indian territory. It also authorizes government law enforcement agencies to monitor/intercept communications and tap phone lines under conditions defined within the Indian Constitution. The act came into force on 1 October 1885. Since that time, numerous amendments have been passed to update the act to respond to changes in technology.

Agni-V Type of ICBM

Agni-V is an Indian nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation. The missile is believed to have a range of around 5,500 to 8,000 km. It is a three-stage, road-mobile and solid-fueled intercontinental ballistic missile which is transported by a truck and launched via a canister.

Agni-VI is an MIRV-capable intercontinental ballistic missile developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for the Strategic Forces Command (SFC) of the Indian Armed Forces.

DRDO Netra

The DRDO Netra is an Indian, light-weight, autonomous UAV for surveillance and reconnaissance operations. It has been jointly developed by the Research and Development Establishment (R&DE), and IdeaForge, a Mumbai-based private firm.

Central Monitoring System

The Central Monitoring System, abbreviated to CMS, is a centralized telephone interception provisioning system installed by the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT), an Indian Government owned telecommunications technology development centre, and operated by Telecom Enforcement Resource and Monitoring (TERM) Cells. The CMC system is going to be set up in each major state collocated with the TERM Cells. Telecom operators in India are required by law to give access to their networks to law enforcement agencies.

Telecom Enforcement Resource and Monitoring (TERM), formerly known as Vigilance Telecom Monitoring (VTM), is the vigilance and monitoring wing of the Indian Department of Telecommunications (DoT). TERM is made up of 34 Cells in India's 22 telecom circles and 10 large telecom districts, each headed by a Senior Administrative Grade (SAG) level officer, termed as Deputy Director General (DDG). The main functions of TERM Cells are vigilance, monitoring and security of the network. Apart from this, TERM Cells also operate the Central Monitoring System (CMS), a clandestine mass electronic surveillance program, and carry out other functions. The TERM Cells function as the subordinate offices of the DoT in the field. These Cells represent the Telegraph Authority and the Licensor.

Mass surveillance in the United States Overview of mass surveillance in the United States of America

The practice of mass surveillance in the United States dates back to wartime monitoring and censorship of international communications from, to, or which passed through the United States. After the First and Second World Wars, mass surveillance continued throughout the Cold War period, via programs such as the Black Chamber and Project SHAMROCK. The formation and growth of federal law-enforcement and intelligence agencies such as the FBI, CIA, and NSA institutionalized surveillance used to also silence political dissent, as evidenced by COINTELPRO projects which targeted various organizations and individuals. During the Civil Rights Movement era, many individuals put under surveillance orders were first labelled as integrationists, then deemed subversive, and sometimes suspected to be supportive of the communist model of the United States' rival at the time, the Soviet Union. Other targeted individuals and groups included Native American activists, African American and Chicano liberation movement activists, and anti-war protesters.

Mass surveillance in India Overview of mass surveillance in India

Mass surveillance is the pervasive surveillance of an entire or a substantial fraction of a population. Mass surveillance in India includes Surveillance, Telephone tapping, Open-source intelligence, Lawful interception, surveillance under Indian Telegraph Act, 1885, etc.

The National Cyber Coordination Centre (NCCC) is an operational cybersecurity and e-surveillance agency in India. It is intended to screen communication metadata and co-ordinate the intelligence gathering activities of other agencies. Some have expressed concern that the body could encroach on Indian citizens' privacy and civil-liberties, given the lack of explicit privacy laws in the country.

Integrated Coastal Surveillance System

The Integrated Coastal Surveillance System (ICSS) is a coastal surveillance system operated by India with the goal to protect its coastline, ensure regional security, and assist friendly navies by quickly detecting, locating and monitoring maritime activity in the Indian Ocean. The system was developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Bharat Electronics, and forms part of the National Command Control Communication and Intelligence System (NC3I). Although the ICSS was built primarily for coastal and maritime security, the system can also be used for vessel traffic management, harbour surveillance and navigation. The core of the ICSS is a network of remote ground-based radar stations called the Coastal Surveillance Network (CSN). In addition to radars, stations are also fitted with optical sensors, electro-optical sensors, thermal imagers, cameras, meteorological systems, an Automatic Identification System (AIS), a distress alert transmission system (DATS), electronic warfare support measures, and very high frequency (VHF) radio communication systems.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Government to launch 'Netra' for internet surveillance". The Economic Times. 16 December 2013. Retrieved 16 December 2013.
  2. 1 2 3 "Home seeks system to intercept Net chatter". The Indian Express. 23 June 2013. Retrieved 23 June 2013.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "Govt holds contest between two Internet spy systems". The Economic Times. Retrieved 17 August 2012.
  4. 1 2 "Govt to launch internet spy system 'Netra' soon". The Times of India. 7 January 2014. Retrieved 7 January 2014.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 "Panel slams roping in of private firm for Net snooping". The Hindu Business Line. Retrieved 17 August 2012.
  6. ↑ "CAIR team gets Agni award". The Hindu . 14 March 2010. Archived from the original on 25 January 2013. Retrieved 17 August 2012.
  7. ↑ "Agni awards announced". The Deccan Herald. Retrieved 17 August 2012.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.