New Delhi: The central government on Friday blocked three websites that were leaking Aadhaar card and PAN card data of Indian citizens. Sources revealed that these websites were displaying the leaked data of Star Health Insurance customers. In response, the Aadhaar Authority has filed an FIR against the websites involved.
Recently, it was reported that personal data of over 3 crore Star Health customers had been leaked. Star Health has also taken legal action by filing an FIR against the hacker responsible, as well as against Telegram and other people connected to the incident.
Experts on data leaks
Cybersecurity experts believe that stopping the leak of such data is difficult. The leaked information can easily be uploaded to other websites and accessed through VPNs (virtual private networks). The data can also be shared on other online platforms and chatbots. While a new Data Protection Act has been proposed, it has not yet been fully implemented.
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology took swift action after learning that these websites were exposing sensitive Aadhaar and PAN card data. According to a government statement, cybersecurity and protection of personal data are high priorities. Consequently, the three websites have been blocked to prevent further misuse of the leaked data.
Allegations against websites
The blocked websites are accused of leaking personal data, including Aadhaar and PAN card details, of Indian citizens. This data breach has raised concerns across the country, with many worried about the misuse of their personal information.
Earlier this year, it was revealed that 75 crore Indian telecom users had been targeted by hackers. Following this revelation, the Indian Telecom Department instructed telecom companies to audit their systems to prevent such incidents. Hackers had reportedly gained access to sensitive details, such as users’ phone numbers and Aadhaar card numbers.
A cybersecurity firm, CloudSEK, claimed that a hacker group had put up a large database of Indian mobile network users for sale on the dark web. The hackers were demanding $3,000 for the data, which is believed to contain information about 85 percent of Indian users.
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