The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) organised a National Consultative Workshop on strengthening cybersecurity frameworks for State data in New Delhi, bringing together officials from States, Union Territories and key cybersecurity agencies.
The workshop was chaired by S. Krishnan and focused on improving the protection of citizen data as governments increasingly digitise public services.
Senior officials from the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), National Informatics Centre (NIC), NeGD and State Governments participated in the discussions. The consultation forms part of a four-stage national initiative aimed at preparing a comprehensive cybersecurity policy framework for States and Union Territories.
Addressing the workshop, Krishnan stressed that cybersecurity is a governance responsibility and not merely a technical function. He highlighted the importance of safeguarding sensitive citizen data such as health records, land documents, educational certificates and welfare databases.
He noted that with the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023 becoming fully enforceable from May 2027, cybersecurity preparedness would become a legal obligation for all departments handling citizen information.
The Ministry outlined four key requirements for every State and Union Territory, including a dedicated cybersecurity policy, appointment of Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs), establishment of Security Operations Centres (SOCs) and implementation of Cyber Crisis Management Plans.
The workshop also addressed emerging threats such as AI-enabled cyberattacks, ransomware campaigns and cloud security risks. Officials emphasised the need for secure-by-design digital systems, regular cyber drills and capacity-building programmes for government employees.
States and Union Territories will now conduct internal workshops and submit recommendations to MeitY before the final National Departmental Summit scheduled for August 2026, where the national cybersecurity framework will be finalised.
