The government of West Bengal, a state in eastern India, is planning to implement blockchain technology to protect its online records from cyberattacks, Outlook India reported.

A senior official of the Information Technology Department told PTI that the task of implementing the technology at various departments would be entrusted to the state government’s proposed Cyber Security Centre of Excellence.

"These days, we are storing files and records online. We have thousands of documents in the cloud, too. And in the coming days, our dependence on the Internet will increase and threats from cyber criminals will aggravate. So we have to be very cautious and apply safeguards," the official said. "The cyber security centre will bring the best in academic, law enforcement and other sections under one roof for the best practices to counter cyber crimes.”

The state government is also planning to partner with private firms for research and development on cybercrimes. It is also seeking to raise awareness about the threats of cybercrimes and measures needed to prevent the attacks.

The efforts towards embracing blockchain technology come after some offices of the West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company Limited came under 'WannaCry' attack earlier this year.

"We do not want such things to be repeated. We are trying to build foolproof security against these threats," the official added.

In addition to West Bengal, a number of other Indian states are ramping up efforts to introduce blockchain technology in their administrative processes. A report by The Times of India in June revealed that Telangana and Andhra Pradesh are leading the race to adopt the technology.