Bengaluru company hacks Aadhaar website? How safe is linking PAN?
Synopsis
A complaint has been filed against Bengaluru-based Qarth Technologies Pvt Ltd for hacking Aadhaar details There is an immediate need for the Centre and the UIDAI to safeguard its database If there is any doubt, it is better to stop linking PAN with Aadhaar
The makers of Aadhaar have filed a complaint against a Bengaluru based start up company charging it with misuse of data from Aadhaar website.
A complaint was lodged by Unique Identification Authority of India's Deputy Director Ashok Lenin, against Qarth Technologies Pvt Ltd. A FIR has been filed against Abhinav Srivastava, the co-founder of the start up company.
The Hindu reported that cases had been filed under the Section 29(2) of Aadhaar (targeted delivery of financial and other subsidies, benefits and services) Act 2016, which deals with restrictions on sharing Aadhaar information; Sections 65 and 66 of the Information Technology Act for tampering with computer source documents and hacking into computer systems; Sections 468 and 471 of IPC for forgery and Section 120(B) for conspiracy.
So far there is no information on how the Aadhaar details were hacked or how were the details misused. What Qarth did has made us all worry as almost all have linked PAN with Aadhaar. And if Aadhaar details can be hacked, even any information, especially bank-related information can also be hacked with PAN linked to it.
Thus there is an immediate need for the Centre and the UIDAI to safeguard its database. First of all, it is wrong on the part of the authorities to make the linking of PAN compulsory when the Aadhaar details are not secure.
Just a complaint against one company who has breached the security of the Aadhaar database is not the solution. Enough of oral assurances that Aadhaar is secure. There is a need for immediate steps to safeguard people's accounts and financial details.
If there is still any doubt left about keeping the public details secure, the plan to link PAN with Aadhaar must be stopped.
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