Dehradun: After a massive cyber-attack in Uttarakhand on 2 October, which brought many services to halt for several days in the state, Facebook, WhatsApp and other social sites will no longer be used in all government offices including the secretariat.
On Tuesday, the state government decided to impose a ban on social media sites in the Secretariat and all government offices. This strict action has been taken with the aim of strengthening the security of sensitive government information. This ban will be effective immediately. This has been banned with immediate effect.
Primary reasons behind this move
The use of social media in government offices poses a significant risk to the security of sensitive data, raising concerns about potential data leaks or misuse of confidential information. Moreover, excessive social media use during office hours is impacting the productivity of government employees. It has been observed that time allocated for official duties is being spent on personal social media activities, resulting in work delays.
This decision was taken after a thorough review of work culture
A government spokesperson noted that the decision followed a thorough review of work culture in various departments. “We want to ensure our employees remain focused on their duties, maintaining professionalism and data security,” the spokesperson said. Secretary IT Nitesh Jha mentioned that post cyber-attack, all information sharing is based on expert advice. He added that 58 websites and mobile apps are now running on a secure network after meeting cybersecurity standards. All departments have been instructed to provide a certificate of security audit, and no new or old website will operate without one.
This attack led to the shutdown of the state’s data centre and affected various government operations
A recent cyber-attack has significantly impacted the IT infrastructure of Uttarakhand, rendering over 186 government websites, including crucial services like the Chief Minister’s Helpline and Apuni Sarkar, inoperable. The attack, which occurred on a government holiday on 2 October, led to the shutdown of the state’s data center and affected various government operations as well. Additionally, this was the first such case in the state, in which the police’s CCTNS portal was first targeted through which this malware entered the data center.
