In a significant and potentially the largest data breach in India’shistory, sensitive personal data of 815 million Indian citizens has beenexposed and found on the dark web. The leaked information reportedlyoriginates from the database of the Indian Council of Medical Research(ICMR), although the exact source of the breach remains shrouded in mystery.
The breach, which has sent shockwaves throughout the nation, has broughtthe Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into action, as they seek touncover the epicenter of this massive data leak. It was ‘pwn0001,’ anunidentified hacker, who first advertised the stolen information on thedark web, drawing immediate attention to the breach.
According to the hacker’s claims, the compromised data includes Aadhaar andpassport details, along with names, phone numbers, and both temporary andpermanent addresses of millions of Indians. Remarkably, this data is saidto have been collected by ICMR during COVID-19 testing, adding an alarmingdimension to the breach.
The initial discovery of this staggering data breach was made byResecurity, an American agency specializing in cybersecurity andintelligence. ‘pwn0001’ disclosed details about the breach on Breach Forumson October 9, proudly announcing the availability of a mind-boggling 815million records, including “Indian Citizen Aadhaar & Passport” data.
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To verify the accuracy of the leaked records, researchers turned to thegovernment portal’s “Verify Aadhaar” feature, which successfullyauthenticated the Aadhaar information.
The Computer Emergency Response Team of India (CERT-In) has also alertedICMR about the breach, indicating the gravity of the situation.