In Jammu and Kashmir, in a significant move, the UT Government has told its officers that “top secret” and “secret” information shouldn’t be shared over internet and smart phone should be deposited outside the meeting room while discussing classified information.

In a circular, the government has expressed concern over “increasing trend among officers and officials to use third-party tools such as WhatsApp, Gmail, and other similar platforms for transmitting sensitive, secret, and confidential information. This practice, as per the circular, poses significant risks to the integrity and security of the information being communicated. “Using third-party communication tools can lead to several potential issues including unauthorized access, data breaches. and leaks of confidential information, the government said, adding that platforms are not specifically designed to handle classified or sensitive information, and their security protocols may not meet the stringent standards required for official communications. In its guidelines/ protocol for sharing sensitive information, the government said, “Top Secret” and “Secret” document shall not be shared over the internet.” It, however, said “Confidential” and “Restricted” information can be shared on internet through networks that have deployed commercial AES 256-bit encryption. The use of government email (NIC email) facility or government instant messaging platforms (such as CDAC’s Samvad, NIC’s Sandesh etc.) is strongly recommended for the communication of “Confidential” and “Restricted” information.” The government said the departments must deploy proper firewalls and white-list of IP addresses in the context of e-Office.