Goa hosts state-wide cybersecurity workshop to strengthen public data across Government Departments

Goa Khabar : With a focus on building a secure digital ecosystem for citizens and strengthening Goa’s cyber resilience, the Department of Information Technology, Electronics & Communications (DITE&C), Government of Goa, in collaboration with the National e-Governance Division (NeGD), Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India, successfully organised the state-level workshop on Strengthening Cyber Security Frameworks for State Data.

Held in Altinho, the workshop brought together senior government officials and representatives from various State departments to deliberate on strengthening cybersecurity preparedness and safeguarding citizen data across government systems.

The inaugural of the workshop took place in the presence of Kabir Shirgaonkar, Director, DITE&C, Dr. Milind Sakhardande, Joint Director, DITE&C, Rahul Gupta, IPS, Superintendent of Police (Crime), Aditya Madanpotra, IFS, Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF), Akash Kantak, Deputy Director, DITE&C, Rajesh Pednekar, Asst. Director, DITE&C, Arshil Khan, Team Lead, Cyber Law, NeGD, Sharda Katare, Head SeMT Goa and Alwyn Pais, Professor, Department of Computer Science & Engineering, NITK-Surathkal.

Addressing the gathering, Kabir Shirgaonkar, Director, DITE&C, highlighted how the workshop directly serves public welfare by securing citizen data. He shared, “MeitY has launched a four-stage exercise to build a common cybersecurity framework for state data. Today’s workshop is a major step in that direction. Every state is required to set up a Security Operations Center, a Cyber Incident Response Team and a Cyber Crisis Management Plan. Our IT department is actively working to implement these for the safety of Goan citizens. The inputs we gather today will shape the National Summit in August, giving Goa a real voice in building the country’s cybersecurity framework.”

Speaking on the occasion, Rahul Gupta, IPS, Superintendent of Police (Crime) shared several use cases and also highlighted the importance of cybersecurity. He stated, “As we increasingly rely on technology to deliver public services, basic cyber hygiene is no longer optional. We need secure technology, trained personnel, responsible leadership, continuous monitoring and tested procedures. Every digital project must be planned on the assumption that someone may attempt to misuse, compromise or disrupt it. A compromised government system can affect individual privacy, criminal investigations, security, public order and trust in the system.”

The workshop featured a session on ‘Cybersecurity in Digital Governance,’ which introduced officials to evolving cyber threats and data protection tools. Another session provided an overview of the national initiative aimed at strengthening cybersecurity across States and Union Territories, with a specific emphasis on the DPDP Act. During a highly interactive, hands-on session, officials from various State departments including Health, Agriculture, NIC, Goa Electronics Ltd. (GEL) and Infotech Corporation of Goa Ltd. (ITG) presented their existing cybersecurity practices, challenges and initiatives.

A major highlight of the workshop was the breakout discussions, where participants were divided into groups focusing on key areas such as risk-based security assessments, State Data Centre and SWAN security, Security Operations Centres and CSIRTs, secure-by-design approaches, data protection and classification and cybersecurity capacity building. The discussions enabled departments to assess and identify challenges and formulate actionable recommendations for strengthening cybersecurity across the State. Inputs gathered will contribute to the final national cybersecurity framework to be discussed at the National Summit scheduled in August 2026.

Through continuous training and awareness initiatives, DITE&C is actively building a secure digital ecosystem in the State. The workshop underscored Goa’s commitment to protecting citizen privacy, securing vital infrastructure and ensuring public services remain resilient against evolving threats.