Many of the participants emphasized the importance of the conference's location. "We are all in the room today because we recognize that India is an essential partner on cybersecurity," said Ross Perot, Jr., chairman of the EastWest Institute.

The report contains results of an informal poll of participants, where 93 percent expressed the view that the cybersecurity risk is higher than one year ago. A preview of EWI's 4th Worldwide Cybersecurity Trustbuilding Summit, which will be held in Silicon Valley in 2013, is also included.

High-ranking Indian officials—among them, Deputy National Security Advisor Latha Reddy and Secretary R. Chandrashekhar of the Department of Telecommunications—not only participated in the summit but also helped frame key issues on the agenda. In addition, EWI partnered with the National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM), the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and the Data Security Council of India (DSCI), which sponsored three breakthrough groups. The topics were chosen in consultation with the Indian government and private sector leaders. 

Key summit sponsors included Deloitte, Goldman Sachs, Huawei, Knightsbridge Cybersystems, Microsoft, Reliance Industries Limited, Stroz Friedberg, and Vodafone. (For a full list of sponsors, see the opening section of the report.)

Top authorities from both industry and government agreed that the rapid pace of technological change has triggered a corresponding leap in exposure to vulnerabilities that can be exploited by cyber criminals. This has also raised fears about government intrusion that could threaten privacy and individual freedoms. 

Michael Chertoff, chairman of the Chertoff Group and former U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, pointed out how complicated many of these issues have become. "You cannot have privacy without security," he said, while acknowledging the legitimate fears that some governments will attempt to control Internet content.

Building Trust in Cyberspace illustrates how, as was the case with the previous summits in Dallas and London, the New Delhi summit helped spur the process of producing concrete recommendations for industry and government. If implemented, those recommendations will help make cyberspace and the real world more stable and secure. 

Click here for video highlights of the summit.

For information on the 3rd Worldwide Cybersecurity Summit, please visit www.cybersummit2012.com