The Hindu : Front Page : IT companies firm up security measures

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Wednesday, Jul 30, 2008
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IT companies firm up security measures

A. Saye Sekhar

— Photo: Mohd. Yousuf

On their toes: The Cyberabad police have intensified security checks, particularly in Hi-Tec City, following a country-wide alert.

HYDERABAD: The mounting terror threat to the city has made it essential for software companies to reboot the security systems in and around their premises, as they don’t want to become soft targets in the wake of the recent serial blasts in Bangalore and Ahmedabad.

Employing almost 2.5 lakh people in the software industry and half of them working in the IT corridor in Madhapur and Gachibowli, the companies began fortifying the fences by barring entry to all and sundry. Even the regular staffers have to navigate their way through the numerous checkpoints. In addition to that, x-ray machines, scanners and hidden cameras would keep a hawk’s eye on every vehicle and human thronging the premises of the IT companies.

Only on Tuesday, the Cyberabad police decided to train the security staff/ agencies employed by the software firms for two days. The ‘security council’ formed by the Cyberabad police discussed threadbare the challenges and preventive measures on Monday, said Madhapur DCP B. Srinivasulu. A slew of security measures were suggested to the companies, where a large number of people converge every day.

Madhapur inspector N. Bhujanga Rao said three police pickets, in addition to the existing three check-posts, were put up in the IT corridor for vehicle checks.

Also, a platoon (between 26 and 30 policemen) and a quick reaction team (QRT), a mobile party of three armed policemen, were deployed exclusively for the IT corridor as a precautionary measure.

Satyam Computers made it a point to routinely conduct security drill on all its premises in the city, where over 20,000 people work, with none of them getting a wind that it was a mock drill. “We reinforced security with strict access control, verification of employee identity, recording antecedents of visitors, frisking and thorough check of vehicles entering the premises are made mandatory now,” said Srinivas Vadlamani, Chief Financial Officer of the company.

B. Krishnamurthy, vice-president of Wipro, said support systems like baggage scanners and ID verification machines were in place to ensure the safety of its 9,000 staffers on five premises here. Balaji Boddapati, Director, ADP Pvt Ltd, whose 2,500-strong staff work from a building on the Raj Bhavan Road, said his company had the best of security systems. Even head honchos were not allowed to carry their mobile phones and laptops.

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