High level task force formed for cyber security policy

The government has formed a high level committee to prepare a comprehensive report on cyber security by incorporating the related issues on policy, law, structure and process fronts and making suggestions accordingly.

The high level task force was formed as per Cabinet meeting decision made on February 27 in response to the proposal presented by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology. The taskforce has been given a month's time to submit the report.

Ministry Secretary Dr Baikuntha Aryal shared information to this regard on Thursday.

The panel has the coordinator- IT expert Juddha Bahadur Gurung while the members are Baburam Dawadi, Saroj Lamichhane, Mona Nyachchho, Prakash Rayamajhi and Bijay Gautam. Other members in the taskforce are from Nepal Army and the Nepal Police.

The representative at the Information Ministry works as the member secretary. The taskforce has been handed over the responsibility amidst a programme in the ministry on Thursday.

Addressing the programme, Minister for Communications and Information Technology Rekha Sharma said the ministry took initiative to prepare law and policy on cyber security after the country faced a series of threats. For the preparation in this regard, the taskforce was given a significant responsibility.

She argued that cyber security is in the State's priority because the country lacked proper use, management and regulation despite use of all sorts of technologies available. "If cyber security policy is formulated and put in place with budget allocation on time, it would be a significant achievement in the sector of cyber security," she observed.

Ministry Secretary Dr Aryal viewed it would be not only a general study of the pertinent issue, but the comprehensive one which could be incorporated in the government policy, programmes and budget. So, the taskforce is given a significant responsibility, he stressed.

On February 27, the Cabinet had decided to manage the data of all government bodies and IT systems in the integrated data centre. Similarly, the government decided to run in full capacity the Kathmandu-based integrated data centre, and Hetauda-based disaster recovery centre operated by the National Information Technology Centre. A technician on networking and cyber security will be managed round the clock at the recovery centre.

The taskforce will carry out a thorough study on problems of data management in the integrated data centre, reasons behind problems, flaws and measures to solve problems. It will make recommendations at technical, human and managerial levels.