AMAN ARORA CALLS FOR FOOLPROOF DATA SECURITY SYSTEM TO PROTECT CITIZEN TRUST

• Good Governance & IT Dept. hosts State-level consultative workshop on 'Strengthening Cybersecurity Frameworks for State Data'

• Public trust in government digital services must be upheld at all costs, stresses Aman Arora

CHANDIGARH, July 22:  In a bid to ensure transparent and secure digital governance, Punjab Good Governance and Information Technology (GG&IT) Minister Mr Aman Arora on Wednesday emphasised the urgent need to establish a foolproof data security ecosystem across all state government departments.

Addressing the State-Level Consultative Workshop on “Strengthening Cybersecurity Frameworks for State Data” organised by the Department of Good Governance & Information Technology (DGGIT) here, Mr. Aman Arora termed technology a double-edged sword, noting that while it offers immense benefits, it also brings significant risks that necessitate wise data management.

    "Data is the new public asset and safeguarding citizen records and state databases is fundamental to maintaining public trust in digital governance. As Punjab expands its digital footprint across social welfare schemes, land records and citizen services, securing our digital perimeter and ensuring compliance with national frameworks like the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023, remains our top priority,” stated Mr Aman Arora. 

    The GGIT Minister said that whenever a common man visits a government facility or fills out a form to avail public services, they do so with absolute trust that their personal data is safe and secure. This trust of the common citizen must not be broken at any cost, he said, while directing department officials to work as a unified team, conduct deep brainstorming, and continuously upgrade and evolve state systems to counter emerging digital threats on a daily basis. 

    The Minister assured full support from the state government and the department for any measures needed to strengthen cybersecurity protocols.

    The workshop was organized in alignment with conceptual frameworks issued by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India, to evaluate state-level cybersecurity readiness, assess critical data assets, and prepare recommendations for the upcoming National Departmental Summit.

    Earlier, delivering the welcome address, Additional Chief Secretary DGGIT Dr DK Tiwari highlighted the technical and operational measures currently deployed across Punjab's digital infrastructure, including the State Data Centre (SDC) and State Wide Area Network (SWAN). He stressed the necessity of a unified defence mechanism, urging all government departments to adopt "Secure-by-Design" principles, conduct regular vulnerability assessments, and appoint Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs).

    The workshop featured technical presentations and context-setting sessions delivered by representatives from the National e-Governance Division (NeGD) and Dr. Marshal R, Scientist D from the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), alongside key industry perspectives on AI-driven data security and perimeter defense from Airtel and on implementation approach of DPDP Act from Varonis.

    During parallel breakout sessions led by State e-Mission Team (SeMT), representatives from various state departments deliberated on key national themes, including risk-based security assessments, incident response through dedicated State CSIRTs, legacy application modernisation, and alignment with national security guidelines and the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023.

    Meanwhile, the strategic solutions and inputs compiled during the workshop will be formulated into a comprehensive state report by the Department of Good Governance & IT and submitted to MeitY, Government of India, to represent Punjab's recommendations for the framework at the upcoming National Departmental Summit to be held in New Delhi.

Director DGGIT Mr. Vishesh Sarangal, Special Secretary Home Mr. Parminderpal Singh, Deputy Secretary Information & Public Relations department Mr. Deepankar Garg and other senior officials of the state government were also attended the workshop.