81.5 Crore Indian Records Exposed: Urgent Calls for Enhanced Data Security in India

The sensitive personal data of a staggering 81.5 crore Indians has been exposed on the dark web, marking what could be the largest data breach in India's history. The leaked information contains Aadhaar and passport details, names, phone numbers, and addresses. This breach originates from data collected during COVID-19 testing by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). The hacker, 'pwn0001,' publicized this data breach, but the source remains unidentified.

Resecurity, a cybersecurity and intelligence agency, detected this breach and confirmed the authenticity of the leaked information by cross-referencing with government databases. This breach has raised immense concerns due to the vast scale of affected individuals and the sensitive nature of the leaked details. The breach affects a massive portion of the Indian population and poses severe risks of identity theft, fraud, and misuse of personal information.

Authorities, including the Computer Emergency Response Team of India (CERT-In), have been notified, but the origin of the breach remains unclear due to the distributed nature of the COVID-19 testing information across various government bodies.

This breach underscores a critical need for tighter security measures within India's medical institutions. Previous incidents, such as cyberattacks on AIIMS, highlight the vulnerability of these crucial institutions, causing disruptions and compromising extensive amounts of sensitive data. The current breach emphasizes the urgency for robust cybersecurity protocols and the protection of citizens' personal information. The lack of a response from concerned government agencies adds to the anxiety and urgency in addressing this grave security issue.