Contingency Management Plan for Uttar Pradesh State Institute of Forensic Science, Lucknow Website

(GIGW Compliance)

1. Introduction

The Uttar Pradesh State Institute of Forensic Science, Lucknow recognizes the critical role of its website in supporting forensic science operations, research dissemination, public engagement, and compliance with legal standards. This Contingency Management Plan (CMP) outlines a framework for managing and recovering from disruptions to the Institute’s website, ensuring that it remains secure, accessible, and compliant with the Guidelines for Indian Government Websites (GIGW) at all times.

The primary aim of this plan is to ensure business continuity, data integrity, and legal compliance in the event of website failures, security breaches, or other unforeseen incidents that may disrupt website operations.
 

2. Objectives

The primary objectives of this Website Contingency Management Plan are:

• Business Continuity: Ensure the uninterrupted functioning of the Institute’s website and critical web-based services.
• Security and Integrity: Safeguard the security and integrity of data, including forensic records, case studies, research publications, and user information.
• Compliance: Adhere to GIGW and Section 508 accessibility standards, ensuring that the website remains fully accessible to all users, including those with disabilities.
• User Communication: Maintain transparent and efficient communication with the public, government stakeholders, and internal teams during disruptions.
• Recovery: Provide clear, actionable steps for the swift recovery of the website after an incident, ensuring minimal downtime.

 

3. Scope

This plan covers all aspects of the Uttar Pradesh State Institute of Forensic Science website and its associated infrastructure, including:

• The main Institute website and any subdomains.
• Web-based tools, databases, and applications.
• Digital forensic reports, case information, publications, and other content published on the website.
• Internal processes for managing security, backups, and content updates.

 

4. Types of Contingencies

The following potential contingencies are identified for the Institute’s website:

1.Website Downtime:

• Unplanned outages due to server issues, hosting failures, or network disruptions.

2. Cybersecurity Incidents:

• Data breaches, DDoS attacks, malware, unauthorized access, or ransomware attacks affecting the website or backend systems.

3. Content Integrity Issues:

• Corruption or loss of critical content (e.g., forensic reports, publications, or user data) due to server failure or human error.

4. Legal and Compliance Violations:

• Non-compliance with GIGW accessibility standards, Section 508 requirements, or any other legal or regulatory obligations.

5. User Accessibility Problems:

• Issues that prevent certain users, especially those with disabilities, from accessing website content or services.

6. Natural Disasters or Physical Infrastructure Failures:

• Damage to physical infrastructure (e.g., data center, servers) due to floods, fires, or other natural disasters.

7. Software and System Failures:

• Malfunctions in the content management system (CMS), third-party tools, or forensic software integrated with the website.

5. Contingency Management Procedures

The following outlines procedures to be followed in response to each identified contingency:

5.1. Website Downtime

• Preparedness:
  • Regularly monitor website uptime using services like Uptime Robot or Pingdom.
  • Set up automatic alerts for downtime or performance issues.
  • Implement a failover system or redundant server infrastructure to minimize downtime.
• Response:
• Immediate Actions:
• If downtime is detected, identify the cause (server issue, DNS failure, hosting provider outage).
• Contact the website hosting provider or IT team immediately to resolve the issue.
• Use a temporary downtime page to inform visitors about the issue and expected resolution time.
• Communication:
• Notify internal stakeholders (web team, IT, communications) about the outage.
• Inform users via social media or other platforms if the downtime exceeds a predefined threshold (e.g., 30 minutes).
• Recovery:
• Once the issue is resolved, ensure the website is functioning properly by testing its core functionalities (pages, links, forms).
• Review the incident to determine the root cause and improve measures to avoid similar downtime in the future.

5.2. Cybersecurity Incidents

• Preparedness:
• Regularly update and patch website software, plugins, and security tools.
• Use robust security practices such as firewalls, SSL certificates, multi-factor authentication, and regular vulnerability scans.
• Backup critical website data (both on-site and off-site) at least daily.
• Response:
• Immediate Actions:
• If a cybersecurity breach is suspected (e.g., unusual activity, hacking attempt), immediately isolate the affected system to prevent further damage.
• Activate incident response protocols as per the IT security plan.
• Secure sensitive data, including forensic reports or user data, if involved in the breach.
• Notify law enforcement or cybercrime authorities if necessary.
• Communication:
• Notify internal stakeholders (IT, management) and, if necessary, inform the public about the breach (e.g., data compromise, loss of forensic data).
• Issue a formal statement to ensure transparency and guide users on steps to protect themselves.
• Recovery:
• Restore website from secure backups.
• Patch vulnerabilities that allowed the breach.
• Conduct a post-incident review to identify improvements to the cybersecurity measures.

5.3. Content Integrity Issues

• Preparedness:
• Implement version control for all critical content (e.g., forensic reports, publications).
• Maintain regular content backups and implement an automatic backup system for website files and databases.
• Response:
• Immediate Actions:
• If content corruption or loss occurs, restore from the most recent backup.
• Identify the cause of corruption (e.g., server malfunction, accidental deletion).
• Communication:
• Inform internal content managers about the issue.
• Notify users if public-facing content is temporarily unavailable or being updated.
• Recovery:
• Once the content is restored, validate its accuracy and integrity.
• Implement a review to prevent the recurrence of similar issues (e.g., update backup procedures).

5.4. Legal and Compliance Violations

• Preparedness:
• Conduct regular audits of the website to ensure compliance with GIGW guidelines and WCAG 2.0 accessibility standards.
• Stay updated on changes to Indian government website standards and legal regulations regarding data protection and accessibility.
• Response:
• Immediate Actions:
• If a compliance issue is identified (e.g., non-accessible content, outdated legal notices), immediately correct the issue.
• Consult legal and compliance teams to ensure the website adheres to all applicable regulations.
• Communication:
• Inform relevant stakeholders about compliance violations and corrective actions taken.
• Recovery:
• Conduct a comprehensive review of the website’s compliance status.
• Implement periodic training for staff on compliance and accessibility standards.

5.5. User Accessibility Problems

• Preparedness:
• Ensure the website complies with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act and WCAG 2.0 Level AA standards.
• Regularly conduct accessibility testing using tools like WAVE or Axe.
• Response:
• Immediate Actions:
• If accessibility issues are detected (e.g., content unreadable for visually impaired users), immediately fix the issue.
• Engage with users (e.g., via support forms or social media) to understand the specific problems faced.
• Communication:
• Notify stakeholders and users about the issue and estimated timeline for resolution.
• Recovery:
• Verify the website’s accessibility post-correction.
• Implement periodic accessibility audits to ensure continuous compliance.

5.6. Natural Disasters or Physical Infrastructure Failures

• Preparedness:
• Use cloud-based hosting or implement redundant server infrastructure to protect against physical disasters.
• Regularly back up critical website content to off-site locations.
• Response:
• Immediate Actions:
• In case of a physical disaster, activate disaster recovery protocols to restore website functionality from off-site backups.
• If data centers are affected, switch to a backup data center or cloud-based solution.
• Communication:
• Notify users about any website downtime or service unavailability due to external factors (e.g., flood, earthquake).
• Recovery:
• Restore the website’s full functionality and ensure no data loss.
• Assess the impact of the disaster and strengthen disaster recovery infrastructure.

6. Roles and Responsibilities

• Webmaster/Website Manager: Responsible for coordinating contingency response, ensuring website security, and managing backups..
• IT and Security Team: Handles technical aspects of system recovery, security monitoring, and vulnerability patching.
• Content Managers: Ensures the accuracy and integrity of website content, restores content in case of data loss, and handles legal updates.
• Compliance Officer: Ensures the website remains