Kamal Ghorui
India Champions Open, secure and Resilient Internet.
CHANDIGARH: Even as the world observed Safer Internet Day 2026 with the theme “Smart Tech, Safe Choices”, a review of several Chandigarh administration websites has revealed lapses in basic cybersecurity, with multiple key portals still running without https encryption – the global standard for secure web communication.Some portals handling sensitive public services, including student admissions and prison-related payments, continue to function on insecure http connections, potentially exposing citizens to identity theft, financial fraud and unauthorised data interception.Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (https) ensures encrypted communication between a user’s browser and a website. Without it, data can be stolen or altered, especially when accessed over public Wi-Fi in cyber cafes, railway stations or libraries. Modern browsers also flag such sites as “Not Secure,” undermining trust in public digital services.One of the most critical examples is a portal of the department of higher education (DHE), which manages centralised undergraduate admissions in Chandigarh and still lacks https. Thousands of students upload sensitive documents to this portal every year – including Class 10 and 12 marksheets, Aadhaar cards, migration certificates, photographs and signatures.Concerns have also been raised over the website of the Society for Promotion of IT in Chandigarh (SPIC), a body under the IT department. Its website, too, was found operating without proper encryption, raising questions about oversight and adherence to basic cybersecurity norms.Several official portals additionally contain broken or outdated links redirecting users to non-functional or error pages. Experts say such redirections can mislead users to unverified destinations and increase exposure to security risks.Cyber and digital privacy advocate Rajavikrant Sharma termed the situation a governance failure. “A ‘Smart City’ cannot be built on insecure infrastructure. By leaving critical portals unsecured, the administration is exposing the data of its most vulnerable citizens. We cannot celebrate a ‘Safer Internet’ while our digital doors are left wide open,” he said.Sharma added that the ministry of home affairs’ Cyber Safety Handbook advises citizens – especially students – to avoid entering personal data on sites without https encryption. “It is a serious lapse that citizens are forced to violate national cyber safety guidelines simply to access admissions or government services,” he said.Responding to the issue, director, information technology, Chandigarh administration, Nitish Singla said the matter was being examined and action would follow.
