The federal government has taken swift motion to dam a number of web sites that had been illegally exposing the private info of tens of millions of residents, together with Aadhaar and PAN card particulars. The transfer is available in response to a safety breach recognized by the Indian Pc Emergency Response Staff (CERT-In).
In a press release, the Ministry of Electronics and Info Know-how (MeitY) emphasised its dedication to defending the privateness and safety of residents’ knowledge.The affected web sites had been discovered to have important safety vulnerabilities that allowed unauthorised entry to delicate private info. “It has come to the discover of the MeitY that some web sites had been exposing delicate private identifiable info, together with Aadhaar and PAN Card particulars of Indian residents. This has been taken up critically because the Authorities accords the very best precedence to protected cyber safety practices and the safety of private knowledge. In keeping with this, immediate motion has been taken to dam these web sites,” the assertion stated.
Identify of internet sites leaking Aadhaar and PAN card knowledge
Whereas a put up on Reddit claims that there are fairly a couple of web sites leaking Aadhaar, PAN Card and Driving licence knowledge; the report in moneycontrol.com web site has named two. “Web sites akin to Indian Aerospace and Engineering, a Navi-Mumbai primarily based institute which focuses on plane upkeep engineering, was one of many web sites that was nonetheless leaking such Aadhaar knowledge as on 12 pm, September 26. The Star Kidz, an e-platform specializing in youngsters’ growth, too was leaking Aadhaar particulars till September 25. The involved URL in query has now been deactivated, Moneycontrol finds. The publication has reached out to each these institutions in query, and the article will likely be up to date when a response is acquired,” stated the report.
UIDAI recordsdata police criticism in opposition to these web sites
The Distinctive Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has filed a police criticism in opposition to the web site operators for violating the Aadhaar Act, which prohibits the general public show of Aadhaar info. MeitY has additionally notified the Info Know-how Guidelines, which mandate the safety of delicate private knowledge.
Whereas the federal government didn’t disclose the precise names of the blocked web sites, a easy on-line search reveals quite a few platforms that had been providing entry to non-public particulars. The web sites remained accessible even after the federal government’s announcement.
The publicity of private info can have critical penalties, making people susceptible to on-line scams and id theft. Final week, the same incident involving Star Well being Insurance coverage highlighted the potential dangers of information breaches.
The federal government’s motion is a step in direction of strengthening cybersecurity measures and defending the privateness of Indian residents. Because the digital panorama continues to evolve, it’s essential for each people and organisations to prioritise knowledge safety and be vigilant in opposition to potential threats.
