Shillong, Jun 11: A one-day state consultative workshop focusing on “Strengthening Cyber Security Frameworks for State Data” was held at Lok Bhavan, Shillong to discuss the pressing issues surrounding cyber security and the protection of sensitive data in state institutions.
The workshop was organised by the Information Technology & Communications Department in collaboration with Lok Bhavan and technical support from the National e-Governance Division (NeGD), Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
Senior government officials, cybersecurity experts, representatives from MeitY, CERT-In, NIC, law enforcement agencies, and various state government departments attended the workshop.
The workshop featured expert speakers from from NeGD, CERT-In, the Home (Police) Department, NIC, and the State e-Mission Team, who shared insights on best practices for enhancing cyber security measures.
Six key thematic areas, including risk-based security assessments, securing State Data Centres and State Wide Area Networks, strengthening Security Operations Centres (SOCs) and Computer Security Incident Response Teams (CSIRTs), modernizing legacy systems, implementing data protection and privacy frameworks, and enhancing cybersecurity capacity-building initiatives were deliberated during the discussions.
The discussions underscored the importance of continuous monitoring of government digital assets, adoption of modern security technologies, strengthening institutional mechanisms, appointing dedicated Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs), and promoting cybersecurity awareness among government officials.
The workshop concluded with presentations from the six thematic groups and an open discussion session, during which participants shared recommendations aimed at strengthening Meghalaya’s cybersecurity preparedness and aligning State-level initiatives with national cybersecurity objectives.
The message of Governor Chandrashekhar H Vijayashankar was delivered by Additional Chief Secretary HC Chaudhary.
The Governor said as governments increasingly utilise digital platforms for essential services, such as health, education, and welfare, protecting civilian data and maintaining the integrity of digital infrastructure has emerged as a national priority.
He pointed out the sophistication of cyber threats, which include ransomware attacks, data breaches, phishing campaigns, and insider threats demand a proactive approach to cybersecurity.
The Governor stressed the need for a proactive and resilient framework that incorporates integrates security into every stage of digital governance.
