ISIS-wary Cyberabad IT companies to snoop on employees surfing habits

ISIS-wary Cyberabad IT companies to 

snoop on employees surfing habits

New Delhi: The employees of the Informational Technology (IT) companies in the city of Hyderabad will soon be under hawk’s eye to check their surfing habits, whether they access terror related information on the internet. Cyberabad police in its advisory to the companies suggests about several software professionals having sympathy to Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

In the past few days, at least two meetings were held by the Cyberabad police with the leaders of IT/ITeS companies to take stock of preparedness for lone-wolf terror attacks, hostage crisis or other emergencies.

Cyberabad police advised all IT firms to check and restrain their employees on accessing social networking groups associated with terror related countries like Pakistan, Iraq etc. The companies are also asked to keep tabs on employees who access these social groups at workplace and should inform the police if anybody is found suspicious. It is learnt that the firms would enhance internet security features and remote sensing.

The police issued oral guidelines to the firms and further advised to have foolproof multiple layer anti-sabotage measures.

Additional deputy commissioner of police (Madhapur) M Srinivas Rao, who is also in-charge of security wing of Society for Cyberabad Security Council, while talking to a leading English daily said that several standard operating procedures (SOPs) were suggested to be put in place to deal with terror-related crisis.

Police have already increased armed security in the IT corridor. They have directed companies not to allow unauthorised persons and scan vehicles before allowing them on their premises.

"Three meetings have taken place so far and police gave different SOPs about our security mechanism, reaction during a hostage crisis or an armed attack. The companies were told to keep blueprints of their buildings ready and ensure complete surveillance of their premises,'' Society for Cyberabad Security Council secretary V Srinivas Prasad told  the newspaper.