JAMMU, Oct 24: The Government has issued a stern warning to its officers and officials regarding unauthorized access to sensitive e-data, emphasizing the importance of explicit authorization from competent authorities.
The General Administration Department (GAD) has issued an order, stating that any unauthorized access to sensitive data is a violation of existing IT regulations and is punishable under Chapter XI of the IT Act 2000.
“Violators will face disciplinary and legal consequences,” read the order.
Unauthorized access, as per the order, includes actions such as viewing, copying, sharing, or disseminating sensitive data without proper clearance.
This warning comes in the context of the Government of Jammu and Kashmir implementing e-office systems across all its offices to enhance the efficiency of Government operations.
As per the order, the Government’s objective is to maintain the security and confidentiality of sensitive official information while adhering to data protection regulations outlined in the IT Act of 2000 and the Information Technology Security Guidelines issued by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India.
As a result, all officers and officials working on the e-office platform are strictly prohibited from accessing sensitive data without explicit authorization from competent authorities.
The Departments have also been instructed to conduct audit trails to identify sensitive events and patterns that may indicate fraudulent or unauthorized data access and to take legal action as needed.
To further strengthen security measures, departments have been advised to ensure that officers and officials who have been transferred from civil secretariat or have left their respective departments no longer have access to e-office systems.
They (Departments) must promptly inform the Information Technology Department about such personnel. The Information Technology Department is then responsible for promptly revoking access privileges for these individuals.
The Departments have been further instructed to designate nodal officers to liaise with the Information Technology Department for managing accounts, particularly in cases of transfers or retirements, ensuring timely closure or suspension of accounts.
The Information Technology Department has been mandated to establish procedures for User Accounts Management, Data Resource Protection, and Sensitive System Protection in accordance with the IT Act within a week and to submit monthly reports on any instances of unauthorized access to the General Administration Department (GAD).
