‘Some techies in touch with terrorists’

Recent security audits of some of the top software firms, including Indian MNCs headquartered in Bangalore, have revealed that some of their employees are in touch with jihadi elements in Pakistan, via the internet, or are surfing and posting messages on radical Islamic sites and blogs during their work hours.

The cyber security audits at the software majors started almost three months ago and are still continuing, sources in the security establishment revealed. The adverse findings, pointing to internet exchanges between employees and suspected jihadists using their respective firm’s web systems, have been reported to the police and intelligence agencies for further probe.

Incidentally, the audit of cyber systems at all major software firms came in the wake of receipt of terror e-mails by five Bangalore-based IT firms early this year threatening to blow up their premises. The e-mails had then led the Bangalore police to immediately tighten security at all the threatened firms, which included Infosys and Wipro.

A cyber security audit includes tracking the internet accounts and web history logs of employees of the software firm in question, particularly the social networking sites they visit and the content of their posts and messages.

This is essentially to filter and identify any criminal or jihadi link they may establish during their work hours, besides scanning internet exchanges aimed at indoctrination or radicalisation of the employees, a senior official in the security establishment told.

The audit findings over the last three months have thrown up disturbing facts. Some software professionals employed with these firms were found to be regularly exchanging e-mails and messages, laced with jihadi references, with servers based in Pakistan.