J&K govt issues strict cybersecurity guidelines

Srinagar, May 21: In a significant push to secure the digital ecosystem across government departments, the Jammu and Kashmir administration has issued a comprehensive circular directing all Administrative Departments, Heads of Departments (HoDs), and Subordinate Offices to adopt standard cybersecurity practices, discontinue the use of unauthorized digital platforms, and ensure strict compliance with IT governance protocols.

As per the circular, the order follows extensive deliberations held under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary of J&K.

The government has directed the immediate deactivation of all private departmental websites operating on domains such as ".com", ".org", or ".net". All government websites must now be hosted only on authenticated domains like ". gov.in" or "jk.gov.in". Future proposals for new websites must be routed through the NIC and approved by the IT Department.

Further, the order mandates exclusive use of official NIC email IDs for all forms of government communication. Any emails sent from non-official domains like Gmail, Yahoo, or Rediffmail will be considered unofficial and may not be acted upon.

A comprehensive IT infrastructure audit has also been ordered to be carried out by designated Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) and Information Security Officers (ISOs) across departments. This includes an inventory of hardware/software, verification of licensed systems, firewall/antivirus status, and network security configurations. A uniform reporting format will be shared by the IT Department.

The NIC has been tasked with organizing cyber hygiene and threat response training for departmental IT personnel. The sessions will cover cyber safety, configuration of email systems, incident reporting, and CERT-In guidelines.

Additionally, the circular stresses that all IT hardware and software procurement must meet the minimum technical standards notified by the IT Department, with a complete ban on pirated or outdated software.

Departments are required to submit detailed compliance reports within 15 days, failing which disciplinary action will be initiated under applicable administrative and IT conduct rules.

These sweeping reforms mark a pivotal step toward secure, transparent, and policy-compliant e-governance in Jammu and Kashmir. (JKNS)