Government Declares ICEGATE, ECCS and ACES-GST Systems as Critical Information Infrastructure

The Central Government has declared key digital systems of the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) as Critical Information Infrastructure (CII) under the provisions of the Information Technology Act, 2000 vide Notification F. No. N-24015/9/2025-Computer Cell dated January 02, 2026.

In a notification issued by the Ministry of Finance, Department of Revenue, the Government has notified the Indian Customs Electronic Data Interchange Gateway (ICEGATE) Portal, along with its interconnected systems, including the Express Cargo Clearance System (ECCS) and Automation of Central Excise and Service Tax (ACES-GST) portal, as protected systems in the interest of national economic security and continuity of critical tax administration functions.

The notification has been issued under sub-sections (1) and (2) of Section 70 of the Information Technology Act, 2000, which empowers the Central Government to declare computer resources as protected systems. These systems form part of the critical information infrastructure of CBIC and its associated dependencies and play a vital role in customs clearance, GST administration and indirect tax operations.

To ensure secure and controlled access to these protected systems, the notification authorises access only to specified categories of personnel, including:

• Designated employees of CBIC authorised in writing by the Board;
• Authorised personnel of contractual managed service providers or third-party vendors on a need-based basis; and
• Consultants, regulators, government officials, auditors and other stakeholders authorised in writing by CBIC on a case-to-case basis.

The move aims to strengthen cybersecurity, prevent unauthorised access and ensure uninterrupted functioning of India’s indirect tax and customs digital infrastructure, which handles large volumes of sensitive trade and tax data on a daily basis.

The notification comes into force with effect from the date of its publication in the Official Gazette.

The Notification can be accessed at: https://a2ztaxcorp.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Notification-for-protected-systems-of-CBIC-by-sub-sections-1-and-2-of-section-70-of-the-information-Technology-Act-2000.pdf