Risk Of Data Theft In Chinese Phones, Govt Demands Quick Response From 21 Mobile Companies

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"Any device sold in the country should be compliant with global security standards. If companies fail to comply, further action will be taken. The Act provides for penalties depending on the offences. In certain cases, the failure to take measures can result in penalty of about Rs 5 crore," the official said.

He referred to international and domestic reports on data leaks from mobile phones and said that in the first phase, devices along with pre-loaded software and apps will come under scrutiny.

Based on response of the companies, the ministry will initiate verification and audit of devices wherever required. It has also warned of penalties under provisions of IT Act 43 (A) in case stipulated processes are not followed.

Wary of hacking and stealing of information from smartphones, the government has sent notices to Chinese and other device makers to provide the framework and procedures followed for data security. (Photos: Representational/ AFP)

The directive comes amid the stand-off between India and China over Dokalam as also rising concerns over imports of Chinese IT and telecom products. According to an estimate, mobile phone import stood at USD 3.7 billion in 2016-17.

Non-Chinese phone makers such as Apple, Samsung, BlackBerry and Indian players are also among the companies that have been sent notice by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.

It said there is a need to "ensure the security and safety" of the devices and they should provide "secure transmission and storage of data. The security of the mobile devices must address all layers, including security for hardware, operating system and application, securing network communications, encryption standards used and the like. Also, the updating of operating system, firmware and application must be done in a secure manner," the order said.