Media reports suggested that the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) database might have been compromised, given the extensive scope and sensitive nature of the information. Queries sent to ICMR were not answered at press time.
“Securing assets is of importance for businesses in today’s world. The recent incident where the personal information of 815 million Indians was exposed in a data leak highlights the need for companies to take adequate measures,” said Sanjay Kaushik, managing director of Netrika Consulting.
On October 9, someone using the name "pwn0001" posted on a hidden internet forum, offering to sell information about 815 million Indian citizens' Aadhaar and Passport details. This person wanted $80,000 for the data. Earlier in August, another person named "Lucius" offered to sell a massive data leak from an unnamed Indian law enforcement organization. In April 2022, a report from Brookings mentioned that the agency responsible for Aadhaar had not properly supervised its vendors or kept their data safe, as revealed by an investigation by the Comptroller and Auditor General.
Since it started in 2009, UIDAI has given out around 1.4 billion Aadhaar cards. A report in 2022 said that this ID system is one of the biggest biometric identification programs in the world. To keep data safe, it's important to use things like encryption, multiple ways to prove your identity, and controls on who can access information. Regular checks to make sure everything is secure and up-to-date are also really important. When personal information like Aadhaar details gets leaked on the hidden internet, it becomes easy for bad people to steal someone's digital identity. They can then do things like tricking people with online banking, cheating on tax refunds, and committing other kinds of cyber crimes.
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