Jammu News In a significant move to tighten cybersecurity across government departments, the Jammu and Kashmir administration has officially banned the use of pen drives and other removable storage devices in all official systems and offices. The directive comes amid rising concerns over sensitive data leaks and targeted cyberattacks on government infrastructure.
The General Administration Department (GAD) issued a formal circular on Monday, instructing all government employees to immediately discontinue the use of USB storage devices. The decision follows multiple alerts from cybersecurity agencies indicating increased attempts to infiltrate government networks via portable storage media.
🛡️ Why the Ban?
A senior official from the IT department said, “We’ve seen an increase in malware attacks and ransomware attempts, many of which originated from infected USB devices. This ban is a preventive measure to secure classified data and critical digital infrastructure.”
The ban applies across all departments, including police, revenue, health, education, and public service offices. Government employees have been directed to use cloud-based or internal secure file-sharing systems instead.
đź“Ś Key Highlights of the Directive:
- Complete ban on USB pen drives, external hard drives, and SD cards in official government systems.
- Strict penalties for non-compliance, including disciplinary action.
- Promotion of secured file transfers through encrypted platforms and internal networks.
đź’¬ Employee Reactions
While many support the move for security reasons, some employees have raised concerns about day-to-day operational challenges. “Transferring large files or reports was easier with pen drives. Now we’ll need better network connectivity and file-sharing tools,” said an official in the education department.
🧩 The Bigger Picture
The ban is part of a larger push by the J&K government to upgrade its digital infrastructure, adopt modern security protocols, and reduce reliance on outdated technology. IT departments are now tasked with auditing systems and replacing potentially vulnerable devices.
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