Government blocks websites leaking Aadhaar and PAN card data

Aadhar card and mobile number will have to be given in the online census.

New Delhi. Some websites that expose sensitive identifiable information of Indian citizens like Aadhaar and PAN card have been blocked by the Central Government. This information was given in an official statement issued by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology on Thursday. This action has been taken after the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), working under the ministry, had found security flaws in these websites.

According to the statement, “It has come to the notice of the Ministry that some websites were making public the sensitive information of Indian citizens including Aadhaar and PAN cards. Keeping this serious matter in mind, the government has blocked these websites. “The government gives top priority to cyber security and protection of personal data, and prompt action has been taken in this direction.”

Suspected of selling data, complaint lodged with police

In this case, the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has filed a complaint with the concerned police authorities for violation of the provision prohibiting public display of Aadhaar-related information under the Aadhaar Act, 2016. The statement said that “CERT-In has identified some security vulnerabilities during the analysis of these websites. “Guidance has also been given to the concerned website owners to strengthen their ICT infrastructure and fix the vulnerabilities.”

Provision of compensation under IT Act

Under the IT Act, any affected party can file a complaint and demand compensation. IT Secretaries of the states have been given the authority to be the deciding officer in this matter. Recently, a cyber security researcher had claimed that Star Health Insurance officials have sold the data of 3.1 crore customers, which has increased concerns about data security in the country.

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