Tripura looks to strengthen cyber security frontier as it sets up data centre

In order to provide augmented cyber security, the government has identified sensitive data at the cyber security data centre where new threats are being identified regularly, said Aggarwal. He added that the expert to be hired soon by the government would supervise the protection of the digital frontier along with existing IT experts under government service.

“These are sensitive data. We have felt there’s a need to have an expert for the protection and security of this data,” added Aggarwal.

He also said agencies would be roped in through requisite government procedures for providing experts who have industry standards. “They will guide us on how to protect our infrastructure.”

The move is the first major step to protect government data from cyber attacks, especially after a slew of recent complaints from ministers and senior officials of having their accounts, social media handles etc hacked and scams where users assumed false identities of officials and ministers asking for money from people.

On July 27, Assistant Inspector General (Law and Order) Jyotishman Das Choudhury said multiple instances have come to the notice of Tripura police in which fraudsters were creating fake WhatsApp profiles using dubious numbers.

“…(fake number) has been used in creating many fake WhatsApp profiles with actual photographs of senior officers/ prominent personalities. The miscreants are sending WhatsApp messages mentioning some SOS situations and asking money to be paid by Amazon gift cards, vouchers, coupons etc,” the official had said advising people not to respond to any messages coming from such numbers.

The state government set up a cyber security data centre at IT Bhawan last year as part of its ambitious plan to turn Tripura into an IT hub. The state also aspires to draw technical support from the Internet Gateway with Bangladesh which is operational here.

On the issue, an official of the IT department said, “We have a cyber security data centre. Apart from regular digital attacks, we are receiving new threats. Ethical hackers are identifying new threats, we want to ensure all time monitoring”.

He said a host of work, including data management, software solutions, fund management etc, are being handled by experts at the centre.

Tripura’s data centre was started as part of the state data centre policy in 2021 to develop a state-of-the-art data centre. Under this policy, the government signed a Memorandum of Under (MoU) with data service providers who are expected to soon start operation.