14 DAY TRIAL // The hacker collective called 'Lords of Dharamraja', the ones that allegedly obtained the source code of Symantec’s Endpoint Security and AntiVirus products, also leaked a document that revealed how the Indian government cunningly convinced Research in Motion (RIM), Nokia and Apple to help them spy on the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission.
The document shows that the mobile phone manufacturers were promised access to the Indian cell phone market in return for the necessary means that would allow them to monitor the conversations of the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission, a Congress-appointed body created in 2000, with the purpose of monitoring and investigating the security and economic relations between China and the US.
Rediff reports that the Indian Army denies the fact that the documents are real, stating that the whole thing is a forgery posted online with malicious intent.
The part of the leaked “secret” memo that concerns the mobile device manufacturers reads: I have attached “Technical Agreement with the Minister of Defence of the Republic of India and MM” concerning cellular surveillance – in consideration of the necessity to provide a general framework allowing the stay of mobile device manufacturers: RIM, Nokia, Apple, etc, and the efficient execution of the CYCADA data interception control.
In a recent, similar situation, when RIM was asked to provide conversation logs to prove that a former Pakistani ambassador requested Washington’s aid to rein in Pakistan’s military, the company made a statement regarding the privacy of their customers.
“Like others in our industry, from time to time, we may receive requests from legal authorities for lawful access assistance,” company representatives say.
“We are guided by appropriate legal processes and publicly disclosed lawful access principles in this regard as we balance any such requests against our priority of maintaining the privacy rights of our users.”