Uttarakhand News: In response to a recent cyber attack on the Information Technology Development Agency (ITDA) data center on October 2, the Uttarakhand government has imposed a complete ban on the use of Facebook, WhatsApp, and other social media platforms in the state secretariat and all government offices. The cyber attack, identified as a ransomware attack, prompted the government to take immediate action to enhance security measures. Investigations are ongoing by state and central agencies to determine the source of the attack.
Cyber Attack Confirmed by IT Secretary
During a press conference held at the ITDA headquarters, IT Secretary Nitesh Jha confirmed the cyber attack, describing it as a “ransomware attack.” He noted that while cyber attacks have become common globally, this was the first incident in Uttarakhand. The attackers first targeted the police’s CCTNS portal, which allowed malware to infiltrate the data center.
Major Loss Averted
Jha also stated that timely intervention helped prevent significant damage, and all systems at the data center have been restored. Currently, all government computer systems are operating in isolation mode to prevent future attacks. IT Secretary Nitesh Jha and ITDA Director Nikita Khandelwal, along with a team of technical experts from both state and central agencies, are overseeing the restoration and security improvements.
Focus on Zero Trust Policy and Security Audits
To strengthen cybersecurity, the government plans to adopt a “Zero Trust Policy” in the future. Nitesh Jha mentioned that the government will soon issue a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for cybersecurity. No system will be operated without a thorough security audit. Security patches will be applied to the State Wide Area Network (SWAN), and security audits of all applications and systems connected to government websites have already begun. The National Informatics Centre Services (NICSI) team has been entrusted with conducting the security audits.
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