Ministry of Finance issues Communication Security Advisory to Government Officials

The FInance Ministry has recently issued an advisory to Government Officials on communication security to prevent violation of information security instructions as provided by the Manual of Departmental Security Instructions (MoDSI) and the National Information Security Policy Guidelines (NISPG).

The division of classified information was elaborated in the Office Memorandum as Top Secret, Secret, Confidential and Restricted. As per the Government Guidelines, Top Secret and Secret information are not to be shared over the internet.

According to NISPG, the Top Secret and Secret information shall be shared only in a closed network with leased line connectivity where an SAG grade encryption mechanism is deployed.

The Confidential and Secret files, however, can be circulated through networks with commercial AES 256-bit encryption.

Other instructions in the memo include deployment of firewalls, whitelisting IP-addresses and incorporating the use of a Virtual Private Network (VPN) in the e-office systems. Usage of government email (NIC email) facilities for communication of confidential and restricted information was also recommended. The concerned authorities were also directed to ensure that the e-office systems were accessed only by the authorized employees.

For the purpose of Video-Conferencing (VC), it was recommended to use VC solutions provided by Government Agencies like CDAC, CDOT and NIC. Further directions to ensure confidentiality of VCs include sharing the password with only authorized participants, usage of the waiting room and prior registration of participants. Sharing of Top Secret and Secret Information through this channel is still restricted by the guidelines.

It was further suggested in the office memo that the officials who work from home may use security-hardened devices such as laptops or desktop PCs which may be connected to office servers through VPNs and firewalls. It was also mentioned that no secret or top secret information shall be transferred/shared while in the work-from-home environment.

All these steps, while ensuring confidentiality of departmental communications, can also contribute towards protecting the privacy of the taxpayers and businesses across the country.

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