The Haryana government has launched an initiative to strengthen cyber security and protect public data as governance increasingly shifts to digital platforms.

The initiative, ‘Haryana Digital Kavach’, announced by Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini in the 2026-27 state budget, aims to enhance cyber resilience and safeguard government digital infrastructure against evolving cyber threats, an official statement said on Saturday.

As part of the initiative, the Department of Information Technology, Electronics and Communication (DITEC), in association with the Citizen Resources Information Department (CRID) and with the support of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), organised a state-level consultation workshop in Chandigarh.

Addressing the workshop, DITEC Director Samwartak Singh Khangwal said cyber security is no longer just a technical issue but has become central to good governance, public trust and efficient delivery of citizen services.

Khangwal said the Haryana Digital Kavach initiative envisages a comprehensive cyber security framework for all government departments, including 24×7 threat intelligence, rapid response to cyber incidents, mandatory compliance with security standards and periodic security audits.

He said the initiative is expected to significantly improve the security of government networks while ensuring stronger protection of citizens’ digital information.

The workshop discussed emerging cyber threats, data governance, cyber security for government institutions, protection of the power sector’s digital infrastructure, cybercrime prevention, the digital personal data protection (DPDP) framework, security standards and the development of secure artificial intelligence-enabled IT infrastructure.

Participants also emphasised the need for specialised training and continuous awareness programmes to build a cyber-ready government workforce.