DARPG Hosts Workshop on Cyber Security to Strengthen e-Governance Resilience

The Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) organized a comprehensive Workshop on Cyber Security at the Civil Services Officers’ Institute (CSOI), Vinay Marg, New Delhi. The initiative was inspired by the establishment of the Cyber Swachhta Kendra by the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).

The workshop aimed to promote cybersecurity awareness, enhance understanding of MeitY’s digital protection initiatives, and highlight the critical need for robust cyber infrastructure to secure public e-Governance systems. It brought together senior officials, IT experts, and digital governance leaders to deliberate on ways to make India’s administrative systems more secure, resilient, and digitally trustworthy.

Building a Cyber-Resilient Governance Ecosystem

Delivering the inaugural address, Shri S. Krishnan, Secretary, MeitY, underscored the importance of responsible and judicious use of data in an increasingly interconnected world. He noted that as digital governance expands, cybersecurity must become a core element of administrative efficiency and citizen trust.

“India’s digital transformation depends on how responsibly we handle data and how prepared we are to respond to emerging threats,” he said. He called upon public institutions to adopt a proactive, preventive, and participatory approach to cybersecurity, ensuring that all digital initiatives are built on security-by-design principles.

Shri Krishnan highlighted the ongoing efforts of MeitY and CERT-In to promote cyber hygiene through tools such as the Cyber Swachhta Kendra, which helps users detect and remove malicious software, botnets, and viruses. “A digitally clean and secure environment is fundamental to India’s vision of transparent and citizen-centric governance,” he added.

Cyber Resilience: The Next Frontier in Public Administration

Dr. Sanjay Bahl, Director General, CERT-In, delivered a detailed presentation on cyber resilience, describing it as the ability to anticipate, withstand, recover from, and evolve in response to cyber threats. He explained that as India’s administrative systems become increasingly digital, the challenge lies not only in preventing cyberattacks but also in building resilience into the system architecture.

Dr. Bahl elaborated on the new frameworks and real-time response mechanisms implemented by CERT-In to detect, analyze, and neutralize cyber incidents affecting government networks. He encouraged departments to adopt continuous monitoring and vulnerability assessment mechanisms, invest in capacity building, and integrate incident response drills into their standard operating procedures.

He also outlined the public-private collaboration model that CERT-In is championing, enabling the government to work with private cybersecurity firms, academia, and startups to foster innovation in security technologies.

Strengthening e-Governance Through Secure Digital Practices

In his address, Shri V. Srinivas, Secretary, DARPG, emphasized that cyber security is integral to the efficiency and reliability of e-Office systems—a cornerstone of India’s paperless governance. He encouraged departments to conduct periodic reviews of Virtual Private Network (VPN) usage, deactivate idle accounts after verification, and ensure that only authorized users have access to official networks.

He also highlighted the importance of maintaining digital discipline, urging ministries to avoid the proliferation of “part files” and to digitally sign all eFiles for authenticity and traceability. Shri Srinivas stressed that maintaining an average workflow depth of four levels ensures smoother decision-making and accountability in the e-Office ecosystem.

He further pointed out that cybersecurity is not only a technical challenge but also a behavioral one, requiring consistent awareness, vigilance, and collaboration across all levels of administration.

Promoting Cyber Hygiene and Safe Digital Habits

Shri S.S. Sharma, Scientist-G, CERT-In, delivered an insightful session on the importance of basic cyber hygiene practices, focusing on small but impactful steps to enhance digital safety. He advised officials to use strong and unique passwords, verify website authenticity before clicking on links, and regularly check for secure (HTTPS) certificates.

He highlighted that “cyber threats often exploit human error,” and emphasized that awareness, caution, and regular updates of software and antivirus systems are vital for maintaining a secure digital workspace.

Similarly, Ms. Anjali Dhingra, Scientist-G, NIC, elaborated on application security in e-Office platforms, emphasizing the need for layered protection, encryption mechanisms, and multi-factor authentication. She noted that cybersecurity measures must be integrated at every stage of application design, ensuring that digital platforms remain resilient even under evolving threat landscapes.

Integrating Secure Systems Across Governance Platforms

The workshop also featured insightful presentations on cybersecurity measures within key e-Governance portals.

Shri Anil Bansal, Senior Director (IT), Department of Pension and Pensioners’ Welfare (DoPPW), spoke about the Bhavishya Portal, a digital initiative ensuring transparency, accountability, and timely pension processing for Central Government employees. The portal, currently covering 99 Ministries, 1,037 Offices, and 9,590 DDOs, has already facilitated over 3 lakh Pension Payment Orders (PPOs) and achieved the third rank in the National e-Governance Service Delivery Assessment (NeSDA) 2021.

Shri Sanjeev Saxena, Senior Technical Director, NIC-DARPG, discussed security frameworks in CPGRAMS, the Centralized Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System, which handles citizen complaints across ministries. He highlighted how continuous security upgrades have enhanced data privacy, grievance tracking accuracy, and real-time response mechanisms.

Collaboration and Awareness for a Secure Digital Future

Throughout the workshop, speakers emphasized the importance of collaboration between government departments, technical agencies, and end-users to create a holistic cyber defense ecosystem. Participants were encouraged to implement risk-based security protocols, conduct regular audits, and engage in cyber drills to enhance preparedness against potential breaches.

The discussions also underscored the necessity of data stewardship and ethical use of information, reminding officials that cyber safety extends beyond technology—it is about protecting citizens’ trust in governance.

Concluding the Workshop: A Collective Commitment

The event concluded with a vote of thanks by Shri Puneet Yadav, Additional Secretary, DARPG, who appreciated the collaboration between MeitY, CERT-In, and NIC in advancing the government’s cybersecurity agenda. He reiterated that safeguarding India’s digital governance systems requires constant vigilance, training, and adoption of best practices at every level of public service.

He encouraged all departments to internalize the workshop’s lessons and implement them in their daily administrative processes.

The Cyber Security Workshop by DARPG served as a timely reminder of the collective responsibility in ensuring that India’s rapid digitalization journey remains secure, resilient, and citizen-focused—a foundation for transparent and trustworthy e-Governance.