Centre to set up firewalls to plug leak of vital information

New Delhi: The Narendra Modi government has moved swiftly to install firewalls to prevent the leakage of sensitive and confidential information following the petroleum ministry scandal. A move is also on to review the Official Secrets Act, 1923, taking into consideration new-age threat perceptions and new tools to steal sensitive government data following the corporate spying scandal.

While discussions are still in a preliminary stage, the law may be tweaked to give it more teeth to tackle present day challenges, a top official said. The Cabinet Secretary on Tuesday reviewed the existing security mechanisms in Central ministries.

Each ministry will appoint a joint secretary-level officer as its security officer. The manual of departmental security instructions issued by the MHA will be reiterated to each ministry and department for strict adherence. The Centre has also ordered a security audit of all official computers and security vetting of staff of key ministries and departments after detection of the corporate espionage scandal.

After review at the highest levels of the present security mechanism, the committee of secretaries, headed by the Cabinet Secretary has also specified that electronic surveillance be put in place to ensure a “leak proof system’’.

The existing access control mechanisms will also undergo sweeping changes, as per the guidelines where fresh steps will be taken to ensure proper periphery security of buildings, as well as separate security measures inside the ministries to ensure safety of government records, movement of persons, visitors and also access of the ministry staff to such sensitive information.

The MHA has already undertaken measures to keep a tight watch over possible misuse of government passes. The government has also decided to take action against those who are involved in leaking of official documents with officials saying that such acts will not go unpunished.

Cracking down on a suspected case of corporate espionage, Delhi Police arrested two junior oil ministry officials and three others for allegedly leaking classified documents.