The United States and India have launched high-level security talks to protect their information technology systems from attacks by hostile states and computer-savvy criminals, officials said Tuesday.

US assistant secretary of state, Lincoln Bloomfield Jnr, told reporters in New Delhi that he held discussions with his Indian counterparts on Monday about the global threat of cyber attacks and possible protective measures.

“These talks marked the start of what will be a regular relationship between India and United States on cyber security. Indeed, the professional level dialogue from here on will be continuous,” he said.

Bloomfield said it was appropriate for the United States to hold such talks with India because of its strength in information technology (IT).

He said Washington wanted the cooperation of every country in the world, but was initially holding talks with a select few.

Private industry in India and the United States was expected to play a significant role in IT security, he said.

“The US needs to enlist the cooperation of (its) private sector for their own benefit,” he said, adding that nearly 80 to 85 percent of IT systems in the country was privately owned.

Bloomfield said the talks included wider India-US political-military issues, “to set the stage for a closer and even more productive bilateral security relationship”.

“The discussions included Indian military modernisation and India’s perspectives on the US as a potential defence supplier,” he said.

“I was able to share with my hosts the progress of current defence procurement requests and explain in detail the US defence trade licensing process and US arms transfer policy.”

Earlier this month, New Delhi entered into its first arms deal with Washington in more than a decade, with an agreement to buy eight US-made Firefinder counter-battery artillery radars.

In the past, Russia has been India’s main arms supplier.

Washington lifted restrictions on military sales to India and Pakistan, imposed after their tit-for-tat nuclear tests in 1998, following the September 11 terror attacks.