Incident Details
A massive data breach is suspected to have occurred in the country involving the personal information of 815 million Indians stored by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). Due to the severity of the situation, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), India's top agency, is expected to investigate the issue once a complaint is lodged by ICMR.
Incident
How Did the Breach Happen?
The information of 81.5 million Indian individuals, consisting of Aadhaar and passport details, as well as names, phone numbers, and addresses, was taken from the Covid-19 test results of citizens obtained from ICMR. Subsequently, it was publicized by a 'threat actor' in a compromised online forum on the dark web.
What Data has been Compromised?
81.5 million records of Indian citizens have been compromised, revealing details such as Aadhaar and passport information, names, phone numbers, and addresses.
Why Did the company's Security Measures Fail?
ICMR servers experienced several cyber-attack attempts that led to a breach. Despite being informed about the hacking incidents and receiving requests from central agencies to address the issue, ICMR was unsuccessful in stopping the data leakage.
What Immediate Impact Did the Breach Have on the company?
The security breach has resulted in significant consequences, as the sensitive data of 815 million Indians, such as Aadhaar and passport information, has been exposed. This occurrence has sparked apprehension regarding the effectiveness of the security protocols enforced by ICMR and the possible exploitation of the compromised data.
How could this have been prevented?
Enhancing cybersecurity practices, updating security systems regularly, performing comprehensive vulnerability checks, and promptly addressing identified weaknesses could have averted the breach. It is essential for companies to prioritize safeguarding data and ensuring the security of confidential information.
What have we learned from this data breach?
The recent security incident underscores the critical role of strong cybersecurity protocols and the necessity for companies to take proactive steps in safeguarding confidential information. It further underscores the importance of consistently enhancing security protocols and promptly resolving weaknesses to minimize the risk of data breaches.
Summary of Coverage
The information of 81.5 crore individuals associated with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has been exposed, marking it as the largest data breach incident in India. This breach included the unauthorized dissemination of data comprising Aadhaar and passport details, in addition to names, contact numbers, and residential addresses. This occurrence has sparked apprehensions regarding the adequacy of security protocols established by ICMR and the prospect of illicit utilization of the compromised data.