Cybersecurity Mandate: To Appoint CISO in Every Indian City

A national conference on Making Cities Cyber Secure was convened in July 2025, emphasizing urban cyber preparedness in India. Urban ministries have come together to address emerging cyber threats, stressing the appointment of Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) in every Indian city and urging the completion of cybersecurity audits for critical infrastructure.

Let’s analyze the proceedings and promises made in the conference, shedding light on unavoidable quantum threats and available quantum solutions.

Glimpse of the Cyber Security Conference: Making Cities Cyber Secure in India

In India, three ministries collaborated to convene a conference underscoring the significance and urgency of uncompromising security.

• When - July 18, 2025
• When - July 18, 2025
• Where - Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi  
• Who - Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA)
• In Collaboration with - Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) & Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MEITy)
• Other parties involved: National security agencies, state governments, urban local bodies, CEOs of smart cities, Municipal Commissioners, representatives from I4C, CERT-In, NCIIPC, and others.

Key Takeaways from the Conference & Security Mandate

Amidst the many city-level cybersecurity framework topics discussed and debated by 300+ delegates, there are three key takeaways for all organizations, enterprises, and government entities.

1. CISOs are mandatory for Indian cities
2. Completion of cybersecurity audits  
3. Structured risk management is critical  

The conference had a consensus to include cybersecurity in all the phases of digital urban transformation, to empower SPVs to align with national priorities and to turn every Indian city a smart city.

Why is appointing CISOs in every city the best move by the Indian government?

The tech-enabled Indian governance must be crypto-agile, being ready to tackle any future cyber risks, such as quantum attacks. Achieving crypto-agility is the first step toward future safety for any smart city. Only the CISOs can act as the bridge in building the required systems focusing on the exact infrastructure needed for the region.

• The government is addressing existing cyber threats.
• It should also proactively focus on emerging quantum threats.
• Focused CISOs will help them achieve and build a quantum-safe environment.
• Quantum security will be the solution for existing and emerging cyberattacks.

Hence, the crucial role of CISOs underscores the fact that the mandate announcement from the Union Home Secretary is the best move by the Indian government.  

Explore top quantum security case studies.

Why is completing cybersecurity audits essential?

To safeguard data and security systems against cyberattacks, it is quintessential to audit existing data sensitivity.  

Mr. Govind Mohan, Union Home Secretary, urged the urban bodies to undertake regular audits. It is not a one-time audit, but scheduled audits at regular intervals.  

• As the secretary highlights, cities need to develop their capabilities to manage the adoption and development of technology effectively.  
• Smart cities primarily rely on interconnected digital technologies deployed for essential services that collect personal data of Indian citizens.  
• It denotes that cybersecurity players who are already part of government bodies, such as the Army, in any capacity, will play a crucial role in making this mission possible.  

That’s where QNu Labs, a leading end-to-end quantum security provider, comes into the picture, with a decade-long expertise in coordination with and recognized by the Indian government.  

How is structured risk management critical?

At QNu Labs, we focus on risk avoidance through proactive security solutions. As our products are industry-agnostic, they provide solutions for government entities, defence, telecom, healthcare, BFSI, PSUs, and other critical infrastructure sectors.  

The Intelligence Bureau also emphasized the need to be ever-ready amid cyber challenges, as government data is being digitized.    

There are three questions every entity must ask:

1. Is your entity susceptible to existing cyberattacks?

• If the answer is YES to this question, it is already mission-critical. There is not enough time, as the attack can happen at any time.  
• If the answer is NO, it’s good news. It is the right time to prepare for the future.  

2. Will the entity be vulnerable to future cyberattacks?

The existing systems employ outdated encryption, which quantum computers can break within a few minutes. Cyberattackers don’t yet have access to quantum computers. However, they are downloading encrypted data, storing it, and waiting for the availability of quantum systems. Once they get access to it, they will decrypt, breach, and break today’s encryption. This tactic is notoriously known as Harvest Now, Decrypt Later. It will compromise all sensitive and classified data. To tackle these attempts, being quantum-safe is the only way out.  

3. How & when to be quantum-safe?

• 57.5% of decision-makers expect quantum attacks within 3 years. (Data Science Report)  
• But, only 5% of the organizations are quantum-safe. (Security Magazine)

Partnering with end-to-end quantum security providers will help mitigate the looming threats for Indian smart cities. Notably, 2025 to 2026 is the right time to adopt quantum cryptography.

How QNu can help CISOs in achieving quantum-safe security?

CISOs appointed in each city will focus on securing all vulnerable frontiers against cyberattacks. Not only government bodies, but also all industries in a particular city, are involved. The initiative demands the inclusion of industry leaders in quantum security space.  

QNu Labs offers a comprehensive, end-to-end and proactive solution:  

• We have built the world’s only full-stack, integrated quantum-safe security platform—designed to protect sensitive data today against the threats of tomorrow.
• From defence to fintech, healthcare to BFSI, our technologies ensure data security in transit and at rest with zero compromise on performance or compliance.
• While most companies focus on specific solutions, such as hardware-based encryption, post-quantum algorithms, or secure applications, QNu Labs delivers a comprehensive, full-stack quantum-safe solution through its QShield platform.  

QShield has three layers – Infrastructure layer (QKD, QRNG, Quantum-safe Hardware Security Module, Quantum-safe Drone Communication Platform), Service layer (Quantum Software Security Module, Quantum Secure Socket Layer, etc.), Application layer (quantum-safe VPN, quantum-safe key management, quantum secure communication and collaboration platform, etc.)  

We are proud to be backed by the National Quantum Mission, actively supporting our Hon’ble Prime Minister’s vision of a self-reliant, digitally sovereign Bharat. As we transition from being a technology-consuming nation to a deep tech innovation hub, QNu Labs is defining what cyber sovereignty looks like in the age of quantum in every city.

As India becomes a Digital Bharat, we are committed to making it a Secure Digital Bharat!