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The big data breach that hit Tamil Nadu Police last week is another demonstration of weak data security infra in the country. Hackers were not only able to access the department’s Facial Recognition Software portal – which contains more than 60 lakh records of individuals, including photos, names, FIR numbers and details of police officers – but have also reportedly put the data on sale on the dark web.
Protecting data goldmine | Given India’s huge population and growing digitisation, govt departments are increasingly storing massive volumes of data. This is also precisely why India is a big target for cybercriminals. Over the last couple of years there have been multiple data breaches, especially targeting the Indian healthcare sector. Last year, a server breach in ICMR compromised personal information of about 81 crore Indians who had taken Covid vaccines. In 2022, a ransomware attack at AIIMS-Delhi crippled e-hospital services.
National security threat | Apart from potential harm to people whose data is being pilfered, there’s a clear national security risk here. We already have reports of Chinese data processing farms potentially collecting gigantic volumes of data from across the world, including India. Sensitive information of political leaders and VIPs falling into the hands of a strategic rival can be dangerous. North Korea is another known source of ransomware attacks. These need to be countered.
Greater accountability | India’s cybersecurity infra includes agencies like the India Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-IN). But most breaches are actually reported by foreign entities. We need to be far more proactive. Plus, there’s little accountability for data breaches. India’s data protection law gives sweeping exemptions to govt entities. But no one is penalised or fined when massive data hacks take place at their servers. A system of penalties needs to be instituted if cybersecurity infra is found wanting. That’s the only way to keep our defences tight.
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This piece appeared as an editorial opinion in the print edition of The Times of India.
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