To ensure protection of sensitive govt information, use of pen drives on official devices banned in J&K

Srinagar, Aug 25 In order to ensure security of sensitive government information, the Jammu and Kashmir government, on Monday, imposed a ban on use of pen drives in official devices in the Union Territory.

An order issued by the general administration department (GAD) said, "To enhance the cyber security posture of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, protect sensitive government information, and minimise the risks of data breaches, malware infections, and unauthorised access, it has been decided to prohibit the use of pen drives on official devices across all Administrative Government Departments in Civil Secretariat in Jammu and Srinagar and Deputy Commissioner Offices in all districts."

"In exceptional cases where operational needs justify their use, controlled whitelisting may be permitted for up to two to three pen drives per department, upon formal request routed through the respective Administrative head to the State Informatics Officer (SIO), National Informatics Centre (NIC)," the GAD order added.

"After approval Pen Drive must be physically submitted to the respective NIC Cell for reconfiguration, authorisation, and ownership registration prior to use."

"As a secure alternative, Departments are strongly encouraged to adopt (https://govdrive.gov.in) GovDrive -- a cloud-based, multi-tenant platform offering every Government official 50 GB of secure storage with centralised access and synchronisation across devices, details of which are provided in Annexures I & II along with the user manual."

"The use of public messaging platforms such as WhatsApp or unsecured online services like iLovePDF for processing, sharing, or storing official or confidential materials is strictly prohibited to uphold data sovereignty and prevent security breaches."

"AI sensitive technical information, including Information and Communication Technology architecture diagrams, system configurations, vulnerability assessments, IP addressing schemes, and strategic technology plans, must be classified as confidential and handled exclusively through approved secure channels in accordance with Information Security Best Practices by MHA, CERT-In directives, and departmental data classification policies."

"Failure, to adhere to these instructions shall be viewed seriously and may invite disciplinary action under relevant rules governing official conduct, IT usage and administrative responsibility."

"These directions are issued with the approval of the competent authority and shall come into immediate effect. AI Departments are advised to accord top priority to the implementation of these guidelines in the interest of the secure and safe e-Governance," the order said.

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