DailyPost 2841
AIRTEL HACKED?
The global warnings are loud and clear that the telcos are in the line of fire. Getting hacked is the new normal, is the truism, which we keep repeating in our posts. You might have been saved this time, but that is not going to last for eternity. Resilience can be the only name of the game in the world of cyber security. How difficult can you make the route of the hacker to reach the critical data and how fast can you come back on your feet after a hack to start the services again, albeit skeletal, would decide your success in the days to come. The public is ready to believe any news of a hacking incident given the nature of the world we live in.
The latest in this sordid hacking saga is a claim by a hacker to have accessed Airtel’s customer database. The company has outrightly denied data breaches. In the world of cyber breaches, it is not supposed to have happened till the time it is proven. When the customer gets impacted in any manner is the time when the companies are forced to make disclosures. The hacker has claimed to have accessed the Airtel’s customer database and that it is up for sale for $50,000.
The database in question comprises details of 37.5 crore users. It contains mobile numbers, dob, father’s name, Aadhar ID, email id etc. It is available for sale on a hacking forum with a going rate of Rs.41 lakhs to be paid in cryptocurrency. The hacker goes by the name “xenZen” and states that the hack took place in June 2024. He has also shared data sample, as has been reported. The telco on its side has said that it has conducted a comprehensive investigation and can safely confirm that there have been no breaches in its systems. Airtel also said, “this is nothing short of a desperate attempt to tarnish Airtel’s reputation by vested interests.”
This hacker is not new to this game. He is alleged to have been involved in a data breach targeting a diplomatic passport holder’s database maintained by the MEA. It is extremely difficult to vouch for the information given by the hackers and even worse what they use this data for, either themselves or by any other party that pays for it. Airtel has not been without such controversy earlier too. In 2021, a cybersecurity researcher flagged that details of 2.5 million Airtel subscribers were uploaded on the website of a hacker / threat actor, which was taken down only after three months. Airtel has then too denied the breach. Personally Identifiable Information (PII) can be used to launch phishing attacks, perform identity theft and compromise financial security of individuals.
DOES THE WHOLE GOVERNMENT / BUSINESS /LEGAL ECOSYSTEM HAVE THE WHEREWITHAL TO PROTECT OUR DATA?
Sanjay Sahay
Have a nice evening.