Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Friday said that the Advanced Numerical Research and Analysis Group (ANURAG), the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) laboratory, would develop an indigenous second generation router to be used in major Defence establishments so as to reduce dependence on foreign routers, considered vulnerable from the security angle.
Talking to The Hindu on the sidelines of a function to celebrate the golden jubilee of the State-owned Goa Engineering College here on Friday, Mr. Parrikar, who earlier raised the issue in his speech, later told The Hindu that after upgradation of technology of the first generation router, the indigenously made router would be used in all strategic security establishments.
He said that information was a very important tool and in Defence, it was very sensitive in terms of safety, security and strategy and continuous reliance on foreign routers had been found to be unsafe worldwide.
“Information has become an important tool and you cannot have routers functioning from abroad all the time, which are vulnerable to sabotage,” Mr. Parrikar said.
“There could be leaks, sabotages and bugging at crucial junctures and at strategic areas,” said Mr. Parrikar.
A collaborative agreement has been signed with ANURAG in this regard, he added.
Mr. Parrikar went on to say that while he could crack jokes on his home turf in Goa, it was difficult for him to do so in Delhi.
