File photo NEW DELHI : With India’s public services, examinations and welfare systems moving deeper into digital platforms, the Centre has said cybersecurity is now among its “highest priority” areas, even as officials cautioned that no digital system can be declared permanently secure.The word of caution comes against the backdrop of recent cyber concerns around public digital assets and govt’s temporary action against Telegram during the NEET-UG reexamination, when the platform was restricted and its message-editing feature was disabled for a limited period to prevent fraudsters from fabricating paper leak claims.“When you have so much digital infrastructure, data gets centralised and the risk of disruption through cyberattacks also rises,” a govt official said. Cybersecurity had to be built into systems from the design stage and could not be treated as an afterthought, the official added.Govt also indicated that messaging platforms would be held responsible if new features created room for fraud. Asked about security concerns over WhatsApp’s proposed username feature, an official said, “It is WhatsApp that has to worry, not us.”Officials said any misuse, whether through usernames, edited messages, fake groups or impersonation, would invite action similar to that taken against Telegram during NEET. “Platforms must ensure their architecture is not used to create mischief. If it is, the response will be calibrated but firm,” an official said.A WhatsApp spokesperson said the proposed username feature is designed to enhance privacy, not reduce security. The company said it has built safeguards to detect impersonation and abuse, limits how many new people an account can contact through usernames, blocks repeated attempts to guess usernames, and reserves high-value usernames, including those of public figures, govt entities and celebrities, to prevent misuse.Govt officials, however, said platforms would be judged by outcomes, not assurances.MeitY officials said govt is deploying both human and technological resources to address cyber vulnerabilities but stressed that weak passwords, careless device use and poor endpoint security remain major risks.“I will never say we are 100% cyber secure. This is something against which we have to be eternally vigilant,” a senior official said.Get the latest India news and live updates. Download the TOI App.About the AuthorManash Pratim GohainManash Pratim Gohain is a seasoned journalist with over two decades at The Times of India, where he has built a rich body of work spanning education policy, politics, and governance. Renowned for his incisive coverage of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, accreditation reforms, and skilling initiatives, he has also reported on student politics, urban policy, and social movements. His political reportage—both reflective and news-driven—adds depth to his writing, bridging policy with public impact. Through his 2,500 articles and related outlets, he has emerged as a trusted voice in national discourse, particularly in linking education reform to broader societal change.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosDelhi May Soon Get Its Own London Eye As DDA Revives Giant Observation Wheel ProjectWhy Nayara Reduced Fuel Prices But PSU Oil Companies Didn’t?Dhaka Threatens Action Against Media Airing Sheikh Hasina’s Statements After Return ClaimSpecialised ‘Baaz Battalions’ to Strengthen Border Monitoring, ISR and Battlefield Awareness’Break Silos, Self-Reliance’: PM Modi Holds High-Level Meet With Union SecretariesMumbai Horror: School Bus Crushed By Falling Tree In Mumbai; One Child Dead, Five Injured’Kashmir Is Not Part Of Pakistan’: PoJK Protesters Warn IslamabadAfter Converting To Islam For Love, UP’s Ayush Malik Returns To Hinduism | Watch’This Is Bigger Than Dharmendra Pradhan’: Students Demand Reforms Not ‘Political Damage Control’Another Blow To Uddhav Thackeray: Prominent Mumbai Leader Sachin Ahir Switches Sides | Watch123PhotostoriesWorking out as an older adult: Study finds ‘only one workout’ that sheds fat without losing muscleJuly gardening in Australia: The best flowers, vegetables and fruit trees to plant this monthHighest-protein Indian dals ranked from best to leastWhat would you do? 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NEW DELHI : With India’s public services, examinations and welfare systems moving deeper into digital platforms, the Centre has said cybersecurity is now among its “highest priority” areas, even as officials cautioned that no digital system can be declared permanently secure.The word of caution comes against the backdrop of recent cyber concerns around public digital assets and govt’s temporary action against Telegram during the NEET-UG reexamination, when the platform was restricted and its message-editing feature was disabled for a limited period to prevent fraudsters from fabricating paper leak claims.“When you have so much digital infrastructure, data gets centralised and the risk of disruption through cyberattacks also rises,” a govt official said. Cybersecurity had to be built into systems from the design stage and could not be treated as an afterthought, the official added.Govt also indicated that messaging platforms would be held responsible if new features created room for fraud. Asked about security concerns over WhatsApp’s proposed username feature, an official said, “It is WhatsApp that has to worry, not us.”Officials said any misuse, whether through usernames, edited messages, fake groups or impersonation, would invite action similar to that taken against Telegram during NEET. “Platforms must ensure their architecture is not used to create mischief. If it is, the response will be calibrated but firm,” an official said.A WhatsApp spokesperson said the proposed username feature is designed to enhance privacy, not reduce security. The company said it has built safeguards to detect impersonation and abuse, limits how many new people an account can contact through usernames, blocks repeated attempts to guess usernames, and reserves high-value usernames, including those of public figures, govt entities and celebrities, to prevent misuse.Govt officials, however, said platforms would be judged by outcomes, not assurances.MeitY officials said govt is deploying both human and technological resources to address cyber vulnerabilities but stressed that weak passwords, careless device use and poor endpoint security remain major risks.“I will never say we are 100% cyber secure. This is something against which we have to be eternally vigilant,” a senior official said.
