MP AA Rahim seeks action against alleged CoWIN data breach, terms it deeply distressing

“It is deeply distressing to learn that this data is reportedly being shared on social media platforms,” he said.

Also read: Report says CoWIN security breach bleeds personal data

Not an isolated incident

In a letter, Rahim said CoWIN data breach was not an isolated incident, as health information and data kept by central government institutions and agencies are regularly facing cyber security attacks and data leaks.

“I appeal to you to take immediate and decisive action to investigate this data breach and ensure that appropriate measures are implemented to prevent further instances of unauthorised access and data leaks,” he said.

Rahim said ransomware attacks on the servers of AIIMS and cyber attacks on various hospitals in India were serious issues, and the Indian healthcare sector has been experiencing an increase in cyberattacks over the past couple of years.

“Data published by cyber security think tank Cyber Peace Foundation and Autobot Infosec Private Ltd shows that the healthcare industry in India has faced 1.9 million cyberattacks in 2022 till 28 November,” he claimed in his letter.

The Left leader said the union minister’s timely intervention will not only protect the interests of citizens but also “uphold the principles of privacy and security” that is crucial for our nation’s progress.

Also read: Karnataka CM orders probe into voter data theft scam since 2013

Government refutes

Asserting that the CoWIN portal was completely safe with adequate safeguards for data privacy, the government has dismissed the claims of the data breach on the platform as “mischievous”. They said the matter has been reviewed by the country’s nodal cyber security agency CERT-In.

(Disclaimer: The headline, subheads, and intro of this report along with the photos may have been reworked by South First. The rest of the content is from a syndicated feed, and has been edited for style.)