ED: Improving our digital infrastructure

It is greatly concerning to see that close to 500 government-run websites were suspended due to glitches and technical difficulties linked with the servers -- rendering those looking to visit these websites for services unable to do so.

While officials remarked that the servers had been facing technical glitches for a few days due to the recent increase in visitor traffic and the increase of content on the websites, this simply meant that those responsible for the functioning of these websites lacked the foresight to anticipate this increase in traffic, and put in place the necessary tools in place to absorb possible spikes in website traffic.

Above everything else, this paints an unfortunate picture when it comes to digital security and infrastructure in Bangladesh, that an unexpected increase in traffic can cause such widespread issues -- websites of government offices, ministries, and directorates should not be facing these problems, that too on such a massive scale, and for such a prolonged period.

We can only hope that this was just a harmless technical glitch, and that no sensitive data or information was extracted by nefarious parties looking to take advantage of this compromising situation. What is also required is a thorough investigation into the matter, and to completely be sure that there were indeed no leaks, not to mention any intentional sabotage.

It has been said that the websites will become functional once the servers’ maintenance is completed this week, and this episode ought to serve as a wake-up call to the authorities concerned regarding the potential frailty of our digital infrastructure, and the need to make it more robust and dependable.