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It all started with a single click. A government official in a small district of Madhya Pradesh opened what appeared to be a regular circular attachment, but within seconds, the system froze, screens went black, and sensitive departmental data was locked behind a ransom note.
What could have been a crisis was averted swiftly thanks to a state-level cybersecurity response team that detected, isolated, and neutralized the threat before it spread.
This isn’t just a story of prevention; it’s a story of preparation. In an era where every service from land records to education, health, and public safety runs on digital platforms, cybersecurity has become the invisible backbone of governance. India’s push toward Digital India has brought unmatched connectivity, with over 1.15 billion mobile users and 700 million internet subscribers.
Yet, this digital vibrancy has also made the country a hotbed for cyberattacks. In 2023 alone, CERT-In (Computer Emergency Response Team – India) handled over 1.5 million incidents, ranging from phishing and ransomware to attacks on critical infrastructure.
As these threats multiply, the question facing every state government is not “if” but “when” the next attack will come and how prepared they are to face it. In this high-stakes landscape, Madhya Pradesh has quietly emerged as one of India’s most cyber resilient states, building not just systems, but a culture of security.
The Turning Point: MP-CERT’s Vision for a Secure Madhya Pradesh
In December 2022, the Department of Science and Technology, Government of Madhya Pradesh, established MP-CERT (Madhya Pradesh Computer Emergency Response Team) a specialized body designed to protect the state’s digital ecosystem.
This initiative positioned Madhya Pradesh as one of the first few states in India to develop a dedicated cybersecurity response system. MP-CERT’s mission goes beyond firewalls and encryption; it’s about ensuring that every department, every official, and every citizen becomes a stakeholder in digital safety.
Cybersecurity Awareness Month: A Time to Reflect and Reinforce
Every October, the world observes Cybersecurity Awareness Month, a global reminder that security is everyone’s responsibility. For Madhya Pradesh, this observance carries special meaning.
Since its inception, MP-CERT has conducted over 24 extensive training sessions, reaching government officials with practical cybersecurity lessons. It has also rolled out district-level programs in Raisen, Vidisha, Rajgarh, and Sehore, where nearly 500 staff members received hands-on training under the mentorship of district collectors.
In September 2025, Madhya Pradesh made national headlines when MP-CERT became the first state in India to host “Cyber Bharat Setu”, a large-scale national cyber exercise conducted in association with CERT-In, Ministry of Electronics and IT. This wasn’t merely a drill, it was a declaration that Madhya Pradesh intends to lead by example in securing India’s digital future.
Now, building on this foundation, MP-CERT has proposed a specialized 3-day residential training program for Group A and Group B mid-management officers and policymakers, scheduled for 27–29 October 2025 at NFSU Centre, Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
The program is designed to impart a holistic understanding of cybersecurity, covering emerging global trends, best practices in cyber defense, and strategic frameworks for policy formulation and implementation.
The CISO Network: Building Cyber Leaders Across Government
At the core of MP-CERT’s strategy lies decentralized vigilance. The state has appointed 175 Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) across departments and districts, ensuring that cybersecurity isn’t limited to IT cells, it’s embedded within every policy and workflow.
To further strengthen this ecosystem, an integrated CISO Portal is being launched to enable real-time monitoring of risks, incident responses, and advisories. Soon, District e-Governance Managers (DeGMs) will also be designated as CISOs for their respective districts, creating a state-wide network of trained cybersecurity leaders.
Securing the Code: The SBOM Advantage
One of MP-CERT’s most impactful innovations has been the introduction of the Software Bill of Materials (SBOM) methodology. In simple terms, SBOM acts like an ingredient list for software, helping identify vulnerable outdated components in real time. By mapping potential weaknesses to the National Vulnerability Database (NVD), MP-CERT has been able to detect and resolve vulnerabilities faster than ever.
As of October 2025, over 12,910 vulnerabilities have been fixed and the team also worked with the National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIIPC) to close more than 120 high-priority vulnerabilities that could have compromised key public portals.
Supporting this robust architecture is the State Data Centre (SDC), which is now certified at CMMI Level, the highest factory-level standard for data security and quality management. This achievement underscores the precision and rigor of MP’s digital backbone.
Every government department developing a new digital service, application, or portal is now mandated to create a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) and conduct a pre-audit at the CMMI Level 5 standard ensuring security is embedded right from the development stage.
In one notable case, the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C) reported unauthorized betting ads on several state government websites. MP-CERT swiftly investigated and removed over 40 such instances, showcasing its ability to coordinate across agencies with precision and speed.
A Model for Secure Governance
The story of MP-CERT is not about crisis management, it’s about confidence. It’s about a state that saw the digital wave coming and built lifeboats before the storm arrived. It’s about transforming cybersecurity from a technical term into a pillar of governance, trust, and innovation.
As India accelerates toward its goal of becoming a trillion-dollar digital economy, Madhya Pradesh offers a living example of how digital progress and digital protection must evolve together. From early threat detection and secure coding to awareness campaigns and national cyber drills, the state is demonstrating what it means to move from Digital India to Secure India.
The state’s forward-looking approach is now evolving into institutional innovation. Under the newly launched Madhya Pradesh Tech Policies, a Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Cybersecurity is being established to nurture innovation, R&D, and skill-building in collaboration with academia and the private sector.
October, the month of cybersecurity awareness, thus serves as a reminder that behind every secure system lies a story of foresight. And in Madhya Pradesh, that story is being written today- one secure byte at a time.
(The author is Additional Chief Secretary, Govt. of Madhya Pradesh; Views expressed are personal)
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