Sikkim Hosts Capacity Building Workshop for CISOs to Bolster Cybersecurity Readiness

To strengthen cybersecurity resilience within government departments, a State Capacity Building Workshop was held on 14th July 2025 in Gangtok, Sikkim, for Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) and Deputy CISOs of various state government departments. The initiative was organized by the National e-Governance Division (NeGD) under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), in partnership with the Department of Information Technology, Government of Sikkim.

Strategic Emphasis on Cybersecurity Readiness

The workshop’s inaugural session was graced by Shri Tenzing T. Kaleon, Secretary of the Department of Information Technology, who delivered the keynote address. He emphasized the rapidly evolving cybersecurity threat landscape and underlined the critical role of CISOs in defending digital infrastructures at the departmental level.

Highlighting Sikkim’s proactive approach, Shri Kaleon reaffirmed the government’s commitment to fostering a secure digital ecosystem, in alignment with national strategies for digital transformation and security.

Expert-led Sessions by CERT-In

The workshop was facilitated by cybersecurity experts from the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), India’s national nodal agency for responding to cyber threats. Their sessions were tailored to:

• Deepen understanding of cybersecurity responsibilities of CISOs and Dy. CISOs

• Provide actionable insights on incident response planning

• Promote the implementation of cyber hygiene practices

• Introduce practical tools and protocols for secure IT operations

Through hands-on engagements and focused discussions, the event helped departmental officers gain critical insights into threat intelligence, security audits, risk management, and secure system design.

Aligning with Cyber Surakshit Bharat & Digital India

This initiative directly supports the national Cyber Surakshit Bharat campaign, which advocates capacity building and cyber awareness across government institutions. It also advances the objectives of the Digital India Mission by reinforcing the secure, seamless, and citizen-centric delivery of digital services.

The workshop marks a significant step in institutionalizing cyber preparedness and response mechanisms in Sikkim’s administrative framework, ensuring that digital services are not only accessible but also secure.