HCL Comnet has bagged an order from the Government of Andhra Pradesh to conduct and implement an end-to-end security audit for the state's IT infrastructure - AP State Wide Area Network (APSWAN) and AP Secretariat Campus Area Network (APSCAN). The audit would also encompass critical applications like SKIMS (Secretariat Knowledge Information Management system) and REINS. HCL Comnet won this order against leading consulting firms, in a bid open to private firms for security audit, the first time in the country. The project entails a three-month audit of select IT infrastructure for key departments in the state Secretariat, two state government bodies - Andhra Pradesh Technology Services (APTS) and Directorate of Treasury and Accounts - and a district Collectorate. Based on the audit report, HCL Comnet will implement and suggest security improvements in the network. 

On winning the order, Swapan Johri, Business Head – Security & Networking said, “Globally, security services market and product market are in an equilibrium. In India, however, security industry is more products focused rather than service oriented. It is surprising that a government body has challenged traditional norm and recognized the need for combining technology with processes. Conducting a security audit becomes imperative because it covers the need-gap analysis before the actual deployment.