Dhaka: The government is planning to appoint an international firm to train its officials to ensure security of its online info and services and protect cyber networks, official sources said.

They said as part of the plan, the World Bank financed LICT Project in collaboration with Palo Alto Networks, a US based enterprise security company, has been piloting a programme to impart training of Bangladesh Computer Council (BCC) officials and the trainees under Fast Track Future Leader (FTFL) Training Programme of LICT Project as part of their CSR.

As digitisation of public administrations, information and services is progressing fast and an increasing account of information is being collected, processed and stored online and on electronic computers there must be a security arrangement to protect the cyber networks, BCC Executive Director S M Ashraful Islam told a function organized by LICT Project on protection of cyber network on Monday.

Managing Director of Palo Alto Networks Anil Bhasin presented a power point at the function held at the conference room of BCC. Ashraful said the government has already established an online network of its all offices through 25,000 web portals and ensured people's access to information and services online putting end to the yesteryear service delivery system.

"The protection and security of this network, info and services have become inevitable at a time when cyber attacks have become a threat to progress of digitization," he said.

Chaired by LICT Project director Md. Rezaul Karim the function was addressed among others by Tarique M Barkatullah and LICT Component Team Leader Fokhruz Zaman.

Anil Bhasin said conventional war is being replaced by cyber war in this digital era and cyber attacks have become a threat not only to information, services and financial services, but also national security.

Even the websites of technologically developed country like USA government are being hacked and a mafia gang has been working to launch cyber attacks on the websites of many countries of the world, he said.

Rezaul Karim said a good number of government officials are fully dependant on computer and internet based online communication, but many of them are not aware about the safe use of it.

Tarique said LICT project will support establishment of government's basic principles for information security and develop a system of security classification for government information and provide tools for encryption and cryptography to protect information from unauthorized or accidental disclosure while in transit or storage.