Nasscom to create data security watchdog

DELHI, INDIA -- The National Association of Software and Service Companies (Nasscom) is creating an organization that will develop best practices for data security and privacy within India's IT services, call center and business process outsourcing industries and then monitor their use.

"We are planning a self-regulatory organization that will be initially set up by Nasscom but will operate independently," said Sunil Mehta, a vice president at the Delhi-based trade group. "We want to change the rules of outsourcing to India."

The Nasscom initiative comes in the wake of allegations in the U.S. and the U.K. that Indian call center workers have stolen and illegally sold data. The best-practices organization will be established later this year, Mehta said, adding that a CEO and board of directors will be elected by the new group's membership.

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