Some Bangalore techies have links with terrorists

Bangalore: Some employees of Bangalore based software firms are in touch with jihadi groups in Pakistan by taking the online route, which was revealed by recently conducted security audits at some of the top IT firms. Using the internet as a tool for spreading their message, these employees are posting messages on radical Islamic sites and blogs during their work hours, reports Bharti Jain of Economic Times.

The cyber security audits at the software majors started almost three months ago and are still in process, sources in the security establishment told ET. Currently, a probe is underway after the police and intelligence agencies were informed about the internet exchanges between employees and suspected jihadists using their respective firm's web systems. 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.

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 ET.