By A Staff Reporter
Kathmandu, Feb. 26: The government has prepared a study report on cyber security challenges and effective cyber-crime control.
The study committee headed by Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA) Dr. Bhisma Kumar Bhusal submitted the report to Home Minister Bal Krishna Khand on Thursday.
The study report has been prepared with an action plan on the existing cyber security challenges and measures to make the cyber-crime control more effective. As per the decision of a Secretary level of the Ministry of Home Affairs held on January 4, the committee was formed under the coordination of Dr. Bhusal.

The report has stated that rapid development of information and communication technologies has increased the challenges and risks while increasing various opportunities.
The rapid development of information and communication technology has brought innumerable opportunities and is expected to be used in ensuring good governance and transparent and effective public management through efficient, transparent, easy, fast public service and information flow, social interaction etc., the report stated.
However, nobody can deny that the challenges and risks are increasing with various opportunities, it added.

According to the report, cyber security is becoming more and more challenging with changes in the overall operation of the system of the government, management of development, flow of public services and when the daily activities of the citizens are becoming more dependent on digital technology.

The report further mentioned that with the continuous development, and increasing use and mobility of information technology, risks of personal and institutional data theft/misuse and unauthorised access to information technology systems have increased. “Therefore, cyber-crime, and prevention of cyber-attacks on information technology systems should be ensured.”
Stating that it is essential to prevent and minimise the damages that could be caused by cyber-attacks and to be safe from such attacks, the study committee suggested legal and institutional arrangements.

The ministry said that the action plan has been prepared by analysing the current state of cyber security, cybercrime trends and challenges in Nepal and by identifying the institutional role in cybercrime control and effective cyber security.
The members of the committee included Director of Nepal Telecommunication Authority Bijay Kumar Raya, Cyber ​​Bureau’s Senior Superintendent of Police of Nepal Police Nabind Aryal and Senior Computer Engineer of the Ministry of Home Affairs Sushma Shrestha.

Similarly, Indra Prasad Mainali, Undersecretary at the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, Shivaji Kumar Gupta Rauniyar, Director of the Department of Information Technology, Safal Shrestha, Director of the National Information Technology Centre, Sandhya Pandey, (Tech) Lieutenant Colonel of Nepali Army of the Directorate of Information Technology, DSP Deepak Raj Awasthi of Nepal Police, Engineer and DSP Saurabh Onta of the Armed Police Force Nepal, and Shankar Acharya, officer at the National Investigation Department were its members.