- Data includeing names, phone numbers, addresses, Aadhaar, passport info for sale. Investigashun underway into breach of database.
According to a report from Resecurity, a cybersecurity firm based in the United States, the personal identifiable information of approximately 815 million individuals, equivalent to 81.5 crore Indians, has been allegedly leaked on the dark web. The findings were reported by Business Standard.
According to a report from Resecurity, a cybersecurity firm based in the United States, the personal identifiable information of approximately 815 million individuals, equivalent to 81.5 crore Indians, has been allegedly leaked on the dark web. The findings were reported by Business Standa
According to the report, a significant amount of personal data, comprising names, phone numbers, addresses, Aadhaar details, and passport information, is being offered for sale on the internet.
According to a blog post by Resecurity, a threat actor identified as ‘pwn0001’ posted a thread on Breach Forums on October 9, offering access to 815 million records of “Indian Citizen Aadhaar & Passport.” This number is significant considering India’s total population, which exceeds 1.486 billion people.
Furthermore, Resecurity’s HUNTER (HUMINT) unit investigators engaged with the threat actor and discovered their intention to sell the complete Aadhaar and Indian passport database for $80,000.
In a recent development, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has initiated an investigation into a breach discovered by a hacker known as “pwn0001,” according to media reports.
An additional report by News18 suggests that the compromised data may have originated from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) database.
Furthermore, a hacker on X platform has claimed, “India Biggest Data Breach Unknown hackers have leaked the personal data of over 800 million Indians Of COVID 19. The leaked data includes sensitive information such as names, father’s names, phone numbers, alternative numbers, passport numbers, Aadhaar numbers, and ages.
In a recurring trend, another data breach has emerged. In June, the government initiated an inquiry following a breach involving personal data of vaccinated citizens, including high-profile individuals (VVIPs), from the CoWin website. The leaked information was reportedly disseminated through a Telegram messenger channel.
The alleged data breach has struck the government significantly, shaking its efforts to digitize the economy. The government had established a digital public infrastructure (DPI), primarily reliant on the biometric ID Aadhaar, people’s mobile numbers, and bank accounts. These elements were the core for delivering welfare benefits and fostering private sector innovation.
