CoWIN Portal Accused of Data Breach: What Cybersecurity Experts Have to Say

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The CoWIN portal accused of data breach. Hospitals and healthcare facilities are frequently targeted by cybercriminals. Read to find out why we should worry about data breaches or personal data leaks?

Recently, a startling revelation of a data breach surfaced claiming that messaging service Telegram had access to personal data of Indian individuals including their Aadhaar and PAN cards. A report by Malayala Manorama claims that the CoWIN portal, a Covid vaccination gateway where users submitted their personal details, is to blame for the data breach.

We reached out to a few cybersecurity experts to get their reactions to these reports as well as to understand the implications of the data breaches.

The leak of personal data is worrying

Commenting on reports of data breaches, Dr. Sanjay Katkar, Co-CEO and CTO of Quick Heal Technologies, said: “Data breaches can have serious consequences for individuals and can undermine trust in systems designed to protect personal information. Leakage of personal data such as mobile phone numbers, Aadhaar numbers, passport numbers, voter ID cards, is a matter of great concern. This could potentially lead to various forms of misuse, such as identity theft, phishing attempts, or other fraudulent activities.

It highlights the need to continuously improve the security infrastructure to prevent data breaches.

“Data privacy and security are vital aspects of any digital platform, especially those dealing with sensitive personal information. It is crucial to prioritize cybersecurity and implement measures to protect data. such incidents are a reminder of the need to continuously improve the security infrastructure and ensure the protection of personal information,” he adds.

Healthcare organizations are attractive targets for cybercriminals

Cyberattacks against hospitals and healthcare facilities are becoming more common these days. Why is healthcare frequently targeted by cybercriminals?

Rohit Aradhya, Vice President and General Manager of Barracuda Networks India, responds: “The repeated occurrence of cyberattacks against hospitals, apps and public health organizations can be attributed to several factors. The threat landscape is constantly changing as attackers adapt to new techniques. and strategies for launching their attacks. This dynamic nature of cyber threats makes it difficult for organizations to stay one step ahead of malicious actors. Additionally, hospitals now process and store large amounts of personal data, which is extremely valuable to criminal groups. This data can be exploited for a variety of purposes, including access to key health information, insurance fraud, or even holding organizations for ransom in exchange for financial gain. The significant value associated with healthcare data makes hospitals and healthcare organizations attractive targets for cybercriminals.

It can be mentioned that last year AIIMS-Delhi online services were crippled by a ransomware attack, Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi faced a cyberattack and several attempts were made to hack the website of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

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