Panaji: The department of information technology, electronics and communications has issued a second reminder to all government departments, corporations, autonomous bodies and institutions. It noted that several departments failed to respond to its earlier directive issued in Feb. The directive had called for compliance with mandated security and accessibility standards.Director for IT Kabir Shirgaonkar, in a fresh circular, reiterated that departments must furnish details of their official websites. These include whether they comply with the guidelines for Indian govt websites (GIGW). Departments must also state the status of their standardization testing and quality certification. They have been asked to provide details on the availability and validity of their secure sockets layer certificates. Information on their latest security audit reports must also be submitted.The directive covers departments under Goa Electronics Limited’s framework, which is the state’s mandated structure for government website management. It also applies to departments outside this framework. Departments not under the SDA-WDDA framework have additionally been asked to provide the contact details of their designated nodal officer. This officer is responsible for managing the departmental website and coordinating compliance efforts.Shirgaonkar said that timely compliance from all departments is essential. It will help ensure uniform standards in website management, accessibility and security across govt platforms. He asked departments to submit the required information at the earliest so that further action can be taken without delay.The department’s follow-up circular indicates administrative inertia on matters of digital governance and cybersecurity. Officials pointed out that government websites have been frequent targets of cyberattacks and data breaches in the state.
