Srinagar, Aug 25: The Jammu and Kashmir Government on Monday ordered a blanket ban on the use of pen drives in official devices across all Administrative Departments, citing cyber security concerns and the need to safeguard sensitive government data.
A circular issued by the General Administration Department (GAD), a copy of which lies with news agency JKNS, reads, “To enhance the cyber security posture of the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir, protect sensitive government information, and minimize the risks of data breaches, malware infections, and unauthorized access, it has been decided to prohibit the use of pen drives on official devices across all Administrative Government Departments in Civil Secretariat Jammu and Srinagar, and Deputy Commissioner Offices in all districts.”
The order, however, provides limited scope for exceptions. “In exceptional cases where operational needs justify their use, controlled whitelisting may be permitted for up to 2-3 pen drives per department, upon formal request routed through the respective Administrative Head to the State Informatics Officer (SIO), NIC,” it states.
The circular further directs that such approved devices must be submitted to NIC Cells for reconfiguration, authorization, and ownership registration before usage.
As a secure alternative, the Government has strongly encouraged departments to adopt GovDrive (https://govdrive.gov.in), a cloud-based, multi-tenant platform providing every government official with 50 GB of secure storage with centralized access and synchronization across devices.
The GAD has also prohibited the use of public messaging platforms like WhatsApp or unsecured services such as ILovePDF for sharing, storing, or processing official data, warning that all sensitive technical information must only be handled through secure government-approved channels.
The circular cautions that violations of these directions will be taken seriously and may invite disciplinary action under relevant rules of official conduct and IT usage. It adds that the order comes into immediate effect with approval of the competent authority. (JKNS)
