Srinagar, Aug 12: Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo chaired a high-level meeting on Tuesday to review the Cyber Security Action Plan for Jammu and Kashmir. He focused on strengthening defenses against rising cyber threats and protecting the Union Territory’s digital infrastructure.
Officials Present in the Meeting
The Secretary of the IT Department, the CEO of JaKeGA, the State Informatics Officer of NIC, senior civil and police officers, and other departmental representatives attended the meeting.
Government’s Commitment to Digital Safety
The Chief Secretary reviewed the progress made on earlier directives and assured that the government will build a secure, modern, and resilient digital system. He stressed that departments must not compromise the safety of IT infrastructure.
Cyber Security Contingency Plan
Secretary IT Dr. Piyush Singla shared that the department has prepared a detailed Cyber Security Contingency Plan and submitted it to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology for approval.
Device and Endpoint Security
Officials reported that teams have equipped more than 4,500 devices with Endpoint Detection and Response solutions. They also secured over 2,300 devices with Unified Endpoint Management tools. Departments continue to strengthen device security in major Head of Department offices and District Collector offices.
VPN and Website Security
Authorities now allow VPN access only for users with multi-factor authentication. Geo-fencing restricts access to within India.
Out of 239 government websites, teams have restored 140 after carrying out security audits based on CERT-In and OWASP standards. Web application firewalls now protect these websites. Departments are enforcing standard security rules, removing unused domains, and promoting cyber hygiene practices.
Centralized Data Center
The administration is merging departmental data centers into a centralized State Data Center. Officials aim to complete this process within six months. The government is also setting up a dedicated Network Operations Centre and a Security Operations Centre to monitor cyber threats in real time.
IT Asset Management and Other Measures
Thirteen departments have already submitted their IT infrastructure details for proper mapping.
The government also works on improving web protocols for video conferencing, shifting from IPv4 to IPv6, disabling or whitelisting USB devices, and rolling out e-SAM solutions.
Capacity Building
The administration has partnered with CERT-In to train officials and build stronger cyber defense skills across departments.
Chief Secretary’s Directions
The Chief Secretary praised the progress and directed all departments to speed up pending actions. He asked officials to take quick steps to strengthen the cyber resilience of Jammu and Kashmir.the progress made so far and asked all departments to speed up pending measures. He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to building a safe, modern, and resilient digital ecosystem for Jammu and Kashmir.
Also read: WhatsApp Says Sharing Generic User Preferences Doesn’t Violate Privacy