Security for government departments and public bodies

What departments need to protect

• Citizen portals for certificates, applications, grievances and payments.
• Departmental and municipal websites that are targets for defacement.
• Tender and procurement systems that must stay available until deadlines.
• Records systems, and the servers and office computers that hold citizen data.
• The department's email domain, which fraudulent notices are sent from if it is not protected.

What we provide

• Website protection. Managed rules refuse the injection and file access attempts used to deface sites. Rate limits and the human check protect application forms and OTP endpoints. Network and country rules let officers block or challenge sources during an attack. Available now.
• Guardian Protocol. Every protected site is served with post-quantum hybrid encryption for browsers that support it. Available now.
• Linux server protection. A read-only agent reports suspicious sign-ins, new administrator accounts and unexpected changes to system files and your website's code folder. Responses are approved and carried out by an officer, never by Guardian. Available now.
• Domain protection. For every domain the department owns: registrar lock and expiry, DNSSEC, certificate authority and mail records, sender list and policy presence, newly issued certificates and lookalike domains, with an alert when anything changes. Available now.
• Console accounts. Two-factor sign-in for every officer with an authenticator app or SMS, and account-takeover detection that flags impossible travel and coordinated attempts. Available now.
• Compliance mapping. Observed facts mapped to controls in NIST CSF 2.0, ISO 27001:2022 and OWASP ASVS, with evidence for each. A mapping, not a certification. Available now.
• Windows computers and the exact email records to add. Read-only checks on office computers, and message signing grading with the records to paste. On request.
• An organisation protection score with a prioritised fix list and an external attack surface map of everything the department has on the internet. On request.

Data residency in India

Guardian is operated by Merdot Private Limited, India, and Guardian's data is hosted in India. For departments that need it, the console itself can be hosted in India on infrastructure chosen for that purpose, on request. Guardian keeps no copy of your pages or citizens' data. Agents send security events, paths and counts, never file contents. On-premise deployment can be discussed when you request access.

Lawful requests, and no master keys

Guardian holds no master key to any customer's data. Text and files encrypted in the console's vault are encrypted on your own device under the Guardian Protocol and the key stays with you. Traffic through protected sites is not stored.

If a lawful order from a competent authority reaches Merdot, it is handled through a written internal process: the order is verified, the request is limited to what the order actually covers, the customer is informed unless the order prohibits it, and every step is recorded. What Merdot can produce is limited to what Guardian actually holds, which is security events and console records, not citizens' data.

Activity log and accountability

Government systems need a clear record of who did what. Every change in the Guardian console is written to a tamper-evident activity ledger with the person, the time and the change. Each entry is chained to the one before it, so any alteration shows. Guardian Agent groups real signals into incidents and emails a plain-English explanation. Team roles separate viewing from operating and administering, and access is given only to officers the department confirms. Guardian keeps a timestamped, tamper-evident record of what it observed, which can be exported for review.

Under CERT-In directions, many incidents must be reported within six hours of being noticed. Email alerts help your team notice quickly, and the record helps when preparing a report. Reporting remains with the department.

Read-only, by design

No Guardian agent can block, delete or change anything on a government system. Every change is made by the department's own administrator from a fix list, and the console records it. Nothing Guardian ships can take a citizen service down.

Working with vendors and existing hosting

Many departments rely on outside developers and existing hosting arrangements. Website protection works through a DNS change, so it can be applied without moving the site. Team roles let a vendor see findings without changing protection settings. If your environment has specific hosting or network requirements, tell us when you request access.

Getting started

Run the free security check on your department's website, then request protection. Our team verifies the organisation and the officers who will hold access before anything is connected. Pricing is on request.

Questions

Where is Guardian operated and where is data held?

Guardian is operated by Merdot Private Limited, India, and data is hosted in India. Hosting the console itself in India on dedicated infrastructure is available on request.

Can Guardian decrypt our data if asked to?

No. Guardian holds no master keys. Vault records are encrypted on your device and the key stays with you. Lawful requests are handled through a written process and are limited to what Guardian actually holds.

Does Guardian change anything on our servers?

No. Agents are read-only. Responses are queued for your administrator to approve and carry out.

How is access controlled?

Access is by request and verified. Team roles separate who can view, operate and administer, and every change is in the activity log.