India and the United States have signed an agreement under which the two will help each other protect their growing electronic transactions and critical infrastructure from cyber crime and terrorist threats, as per Business Standard.

"The two sides recognized the importance of capacity building in cyber security and greater cooperation to secure their growing electronic interdependencies, including to protect electronic transactions and critical infrastructure from cybercrime, terrorism and other malicious threats," the Indo-US joint statement said.

The defence services of both the countries will also exchange organizational, technological and procedural experiences.

The Indo-US cyber security forum, established in 2001, had drafted an action plan on securing networked information systems. The forum, set up when former prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee visited the US, had also identified risks and common concerns in the area of cyber security.

The focus of the forum was on cyber security, cyber forensics and related research, and enhancing cooperation among law-enforcement agencies dealing with cyber crime.

As part of the deal, Confederation of Indian Industry and its US counterpart will set up an India Information Sharing and Analysis Centre (ISAC) and India Anti-Bot Alliance, to check hacking.

As part of the cooperation between the two countries, the National Institute of Standards and Technology would expand to new areas, including harmonization of standards, officials said.