Bhubaneswar: The state government is planning to set up a Computer Emergency Response Team-Odisha (CERT-O) on the lines of CERT India (CERT-IN) to counter cyber attacks and cyber terrorism.

The CERT-O will help the Centre in cyber security related matters.

An IT department official said: "The CERT-O aims to formulate the state's crisis in management plan as necessary from time to the time, implement it in co-ordination with the CERT-IN and with direction of state-level security monitoring committee, initiate proactive measures to increase awareness and understanding of information and computer security."

Cyber crime has shot up in the state by 159 per cent with 824 cases registered last year as against 317 in 2016. The CERT -O will act as a nodal agency to conduct security audits or assessments of government and constituent IT infrastructure in the state. "It will evolve security policy for the state, co-ordination with the CERT-IN and the Odisha Computer Application Centre," he said. The Assembly's standing committee has also nodded to the proposal.

The state government will also give a thrust to improve telecom connectivity. It has brought out a new policy namely Odisha Mobile Tower OFC and related telecom infrastructure policy.

The land alienation for setting up four new software technology parks in Jajpur, Angul, Sambalpur and Koraput (Jeypore) are under process.

Besides, the expansion of existing data centre and upgradation of present Odisha State Wide Network (Oswan) are also under process.