NEW DELHI: To avoid any kind of data theft or manipulation through cyber attacks, the Election Commission has issued detailed cybersecurity guidelines to Maharashtra and Haryana for the upcoming Assembly elections.
Officials said the guidelines include a special audit of all ICT application hosted by CEO, besides cyber hygiene of electoral staff and detailed application of infrastructure level guidelines.
On August 21, EC had instructed all chief electoral officers in states and Union territories to conduct a security audit of all websites and applications while emphasizing on re-audit of already hosted applications.
EC has set up a cybersecurity wing in Delhi to also undertake the internal security audit of all websites and applications of EC across all states and UTs.
Officials said a Commonwealth Guide on Election Cyber Security is being developed to support Election Management Bodies (EMBs) to manage risks associated with the use of technologies at polls.
The project was part of a wider programme aimed to support Commonwealth member countries to implement the Commonwealth Cyber Declaration adopted by Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in April 2018.
The Cyber Security Guide will be a stepping stone for all election management bodies. It will also host a platform to share best practices in cybersecurity.