The rapid development of ICT services and products has been difficult to keep up with in the last 5 years and the decisive move by the Department of ICT to venture into Cloud Services for its planned infrastructure is commendable.
However, to fully implement the Government Stack as laid out by DICT, stakeholder government agencies require assurances with regards to cyber security and privacy protection of their often highly sensitive and high valued digital data repositories.
The Department of Justice & Attorney General’s newly established ICT branch has been cautiously navigating these cyber threats since it began its ICT Infrastructure Upgrade Project in 2012; when it was just a section of the Information Management Branch.
Eleven years later, the department boosts one of the best government ICT infrastructures having completed Phase Two of this upgrade. The newly fitted communications network infrastructure ensures internal security as well as a sophisticated perimeter defense. This is complemented by a robust Antivirus Solution deployed to all endpoints and a dedicated firewall filtering external incoming and outgoing data traffic.
Despite these achievements, the branch is well aware that the most likely breach of security would come from the end-users. Apart from providing awareness and advice to the general staff, the ICT branch through the department’s Organizational Capacity Diagnostic Committee passed its ICT Policy in 2020. This comprehensive policy not only sets regulations for the use and application of ICT services and solutions but contains detailed implementing instruments for enforcement.
The ICT branch has now turned its attention to its sister agencies in the law and justice sector and DICT as it prepares to participate in the implementation of DICT’s Digital Transformation Policy 2020. As per the Digital Government Act 2022, the branch is working with its designated Digital Transformation Officer to comply with the new regulations and guidelines introduced. The branch also has being fortunate to have one of its officer undertake and complete the National Cyber Security Centre’s Tier 1 and 2 program in cyber security in 2022.
Since completing its Phase One and Two of its own project implementation, the branch has established a reputable relationship with its service providers and other stakeholders due to its hardworking team and experienced team leaders. Not just because of their expertise but because of the complexity of the infrastructure which the team locally maintains and administers.
The final phase of the project now heavily depends on how GoPNG decides to deploy its Government Cloud Services as this will affect initial partnership arrangements between the Department of justice & Attorney General and its stakeholders, particularly in the law and justice sector. Despite the potential challenges that will no doubt emerge, the branch is confident that all its preparations will carry the department through this digital transformation.