JAMMU — The Jammu and Kashmir Government has directed all government departments and organisations to strengthen cybersecurity and protect government IT infrastructure against emerging cyber threats.
In a circular, the General Administration Department (GAD), Commissioner-Secretary, M Raju, directed all government departments and organisations to implement upgraded versions of Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) and Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) solutions.
The circular directed all heads of departments, PSUs and corporations “to extend full cooperation to NIC team for the installation of new version of unified endpoint management (UEM) and endpoint detection & response (EDR) in the interest of secure and accountable e- governance”.
The action follows a communication from the Information Technology Department regarding the implementation of the upgraded cybersecurity solutions across government departments and organisations.
The government said the deployment of UEM and EDR solutions was critical amid rising cybersecurity threats to government IT infrastructure, particularly endpoints connected through the National Informatics Centre Network (NICNET) and Jammu and Kashmir State Wide Area Network (JKSWAN).
The upgraded systems will provide centralised management of government endpoints, facilitate security compliance and vulnerability monitoring, enable early detection of cyber threats and support prompt responses to security incidents.
The circular noted that the existing UEM and EDR solutions were nearing the expiry of their licence support. Accordingly, NIC Headquarters has procured upgraded versions to ensure continuity of security services and protection against emerging cyber threats.
A dedicated team of NIC cybersecurity personnel, designated as “Cyber Warriors”, will visit the government departments concerned and organisations to install and deploy the upgraded solutions on all endpoints connected to NICNET-JKSWAN.
The implementation will be carried out in a phased manner. The Administrative Secretaries and Heads of Departments, PSUs and corporations have been asked to circulate the instructions among all officers and officials under their administrative control and extend full cooperation to the NIC team for the installation of the upgraded systems.
The government said the initiative aimed at strengthening cybersecurity, ensuring compliance with established IT governance protocols and promoting secure and accountable e-governance across the Union Territory. — (PTI)