According to announcements from the Delhi Police Cyber Unit on Monday, four people have been arrested in a noteworthy development for their alleged involvement in the illegal sale of Indian people’s personal information on the dark web. The Cyber Unit’s proactive measures led to the arrests, indicating the authorities’ determination to tackle cybercrime. The defendants were placed under arrest about ten days ago.
What is the ICMR Data Leak?
In a massive data breach, details of over 81.5 crore citizens associated with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) are available for sale on the dark web. This compromised information includes vital data such as Aadhaar and passport details, as well as names, phone numbers, and addresses, according to reports. Due to the severity of the situation, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is expected to launch an investigation following the filing of a complaint by the ICMR.
The data breach, identified by the US-based cybersecurity and intelligence firm Resecurity, indicated that on October 9, an individual using the alias ‘pwn0001’ posted a thread on Breach Forums, facilitating access to 815 million records of ‘Indian Citizen Aadhaar and Passport.’
Officials claim that the Indian Council of Medical Research’s (ICMR) data bank is where the compromised personal information came from. Passport and Aadhar details were among the sensitive data compromised, which was discovered in October. The criminals allegedly put these details up for sale on the dark web, a hidden and anonymous section of the internet that is frequently connected to illicit activity.
The ICMR’s data bank breach highlights the vulnerability of databases holding personal information and raises questions about the security of sensitive data. The compromised data raises the possibility of identity theft and financial fraud in addition to endangering people’s privacy.
An in-depth investigation into the circumstances surrounding the data breach is currently in progress. Authorities are attempting to determine the scope of the breach, follow the data leak’s path, and possibly connect the offenders to larger online criminal networks. As the investigation progresses, further details are awaited.
