Karnataka Holds State-Level Workshop to Strengthen Government Cybersecurity

Bengaluru: The Karnataka government has conducted a state-level cybersecurity workshop aimed at strengthening protection of government data, improving cyber resilience and securing the state’s expanding digital governance infrastructure.

The workshop brought together more than 80 senior officials from over 30 government departments, boards, corporations and agencies to discuss strategies for building stronger cybersecurity frameworks across state systems.

Officials Discuss Future-Ready Cyber Defence

The programme was organised by the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (e-Governance) in collaboration with the Centre for e-Governance, CySecK (Centre of Excellence for Cybersecurity Karnataka), and the National e-Governance Division.

Held in Bengaluru on July 10, the event featured discussions on strengthening government cybersecurity practices and improving coordination between departments.

The workshop was inaugurated by Pankaj Kumar Pandey, IAS, Principal Secretary to the Government in the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (e-Governance), along with Dr Avinash Menon Rajendran, IAS, Managing Director of the Karnataka Innovation and Technology Society.

Officials highlighted the importance of protecting citizen information and ensuring secure operation of government digital platforms.

Focus on Cyber Resilience and e-Governance Security

Key sessions, including discussions on “Karnataka Cyber-Ready for the Future” and “Cyber Resilience for e-Governance,” focused on developing a coordinated approach to safeguard public digital systems.

Experts discussed challenges related to government infrastructure, including the security of the State Data Centre, Karnataka State Wide Area Network and other critical technology platforms.

Participants reviewed existing cybersecurity initiatives and explored additional measures required to strengthen protection against evolving cyber threats.

Technical Sessions Cover Advanced Security Measures

The workshop included six thematic sessions covering important areas such as:

• Risk-based cybersecurity monitoring
• State Data Centre security
• Karnataka State Wide Area Network protection
• Security Operations Centre (SOC) operations
• State Computer Security Incident Response Team (CSIRT) mechanisms
• Cybersecurity preparedness and response planning

Officials also discussed emerging security approaches, including secure-by-design principles, Zero Trust architecture, data classification practices and readiness for the Digital Personal Data Protection framework.

Joint Action Plan Prepared for Stronger Cyber Framework

The discussions concluded with the creation of a Joint Action Plan outlining key recommendations and implementation strategies for improving cybersecurity across Karnataka’s government departments.

The state government said the initiative reflects its commitment to developing a secure and reliable digital governance ecosystem through collaboration, knowledge sharing and continuous capacity building.

Cybersecurity experts have increasingly stressed that government institutions need proactive security measures as public services become more dependent on digital platforms and interconnected systems.