The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), in collaboration with the Uttar Pradesh government, conducted a two-day Cybersecurity Workshop in Lucknow aimed at bolstering the state’s digital infrastructure against cyber threats.
Organised under the National e-Governance Division’s (NeGD) training initiative, the programme brought together over 150 participants, including key state officials, cybersecurity professionals, and department representatives.
The workshop, held at Yojana Bhawan, focused on critical cybersecurity domains such as identity management, data protection, application security, and crisis response strategies. State officials were trained in developing and implementing robust cybersecurity frameworks to ensure secure and resilient digital governance.
Inaugurating the workshop, Uttar Pradesh’s Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Singh, underlined the significance of cybersecurity in protecting digital infrastructure and citizens’ data.
“As digital services continue to expand, it is crucial to ensure robust cybersecurity to protect government data and citizens’ information,” Singh said.
Participating in the programme, Neha Jain, Managing Director of the Uttar Pradesh Development Systems Corporation (UPDESCO) and also the state’s Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), stated, “Our goal is to ensure that citizens’ data is safeguarded and remains private.”
Uttar Pradesh Cyber Crisis Management Plans
The workshop also spotlighted the importance of Cyber Crisis Management Plans (CCMP) as an organised approach to mitigating cyber threats. Jain compared the CCMP to disaster management plans, explaining, “For cyber threats, we prepare by defining key personnel, securing our Security Operations Centre (SOC), and developing robust backup plans.”
Addressing the risks associated with third-party vendors, the training stressed the “Secure by Design” framework. Jain stated that UPDESCO is prioritising secure coding practices among vendors and aligning their processes with cybersecurity guidelines issued by the Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT).
“We are organising a workshop to familiarise vendors with CERT guidelines, which is crucial to strengthening the overall security of our projects,” she added.
The Govt. of Uttar Pradesh organized a successful #CyberSecurity CISO Workshop for senior leaders in collaboration with NeGD MeitY GoI, inaugurated by Shri Manoj Kumar Singh, Chief Secretary Govt. of UP. @ChiefSecy_UP pic.twitter.com/CBhKFImEnv
— U.P. Electronics Corporation Limited (@GoUP_UPLC) November 11, 2024
A significant portion of the discussions revolved around the challenges in acquiring skilled cybersecurity talent. Jain acknowledged that the lack of specialised personnel is a nationwide issue.
“While we have tech-savvy professionals, many lack specific knowledge of advanced cybersecurity practices,” she said, underlining the necessity of targeted training programmes to cultivate expertise within state departments.
Leveraging AI for Cybersecurity
Artificial intelligence (AI) emerged as a key area of interest during the event. Jain elaborated on how UPDESCO is integrating AI into its cybersecurity framework to counter increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks.
“AI helps us analyse patterns in large data sets, identify repeated probing from malicious actors, and block these threats in real time,” she explained.
