The Jammu and Kashmir government has ordered a complete ban on the use of pen drives and messaging apps like WhatsApp in all government offices, citing a sharp rise in cyberattacks following Operation Sindoor earlier this year. The directive, issued on Monday by Commissioner Secretary M. Raju of the General Administration Department, applies to all administrative departments in the Civil Secretariat at Jammu and Srinagar, as well as Deputy Commissioner offices across every district.
Under the order, USB devices and unsecured platforms such as iLovePDF and WhatsApp can no longer be used for processing, storing, or sharing official documents. Officials said the move was necessary after a wave of cyberattacks crippled parts of Jammu and Kashmir’s digital infrastructure.
The attacks intensified after Operation Sindoor in May 2025, which followed the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people. Union Minister for Power Manohar Lal Khattar revealed that India’s power sector alone was hit with over 200,000 cyberattacks during the operation, many traced back to Pakistan and its allies, including Bangladesh, Turkey, Malaysia, and Indonesia. Nearly 100 of the union territory’s 239 government websites remain inactive months later, highlighting the scale of the disruption.
As a secure alternative, the government is mandating the use of GovDrive, a cloud-based storage system that provides every official with 50 GB of protected storage and multi-factor authentication. Registration will be carried out through Parichay authentication to ensure centralized access and data safety.
Departments facing unavoidable needs for external storage may apply for limited exemptions. In such cases, only 2–3 pen drives per department may be approved, provided they are formally registered and reconfigured by the State Informatics Officer at the National Informatics Centre.
Officials have warned that any violation of the order will invite strict disciplinary action under conduct and IT rules. Departments have been instructed to immediately begin implementing the new security guidelines to strengthen e-governance in the region.
