March 3: The government has formed a high-level committee to prepare a comprehensive report on cyber security by incorporating issues related to policy, law, structure and process and making suggestions accordingly.    
The high-level taskforce was formed as per the decision of cabinet meeting on February 27 in response to the proposal presented by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology. The taskforce has been given a month's time to submit the report.    
Information Ministry Secretary Dr Baikuntha Aryal said on Thursday that IT expert Juddha Bahadur Gurung has been appointed as the coordinator of the committee.
Other members of the committee are Baburam Dawadi, Saroj Lamichhane, Mona Nyachchho, Prakash Rayamajhi and Bijay Gautam. Besides coordinator Gurung, all other members of the taskforce are from the Nepalese Army and the Nepal Police.    
The taskforce was handed over the responsibility amidst a programme at the ministry on Thursday. Addressing the programme, Minister for Communications and Information Technology Rekha Sharma said the ministry took the initiative to prepare the law and policy on cyber security after the country faced series of threats on this subject.
She argued that cyber security is in the state's priority list because the country lacks proper regulations despite the use of all sorts of technologies available.

"If cyber security policy is formulated and put in place with budget allocation on time, it would be a significant achievement in the sector of cyber security," she said.    
Secretary Aryal shared that the committee will not just undertake a general study of the pertinent issue, but conduct a comprehensive analysis which could be incorporated in the government policy, programmes and budget. “So, the taskforce has been given a significant responsibility,” he stressed.    
On February 27, the cabinet had decided to manage the data of all government bodies and IT systems in the integrated data centre.
The taskforce will carry out a thorough study on problems of data management in the integrated data centre, reasons behind problems, flaws and measures to solve the problems. It will make recommendations at technical, human and managerial levels. -- RSS