Aadhaar data leaked from more govt departments, UIDAI asks for audit to prevent further leaks

The massive leak of Aadhaar data from the Jharkhand Directorate of Social Security’s (JDSS) servers appears to have been only one of many leaks that popped up these past few days.

The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), which oversees Aadhaar implementation in the country, has asked government organisations to ensure that they don’t reveal Aadhaar numbers and to figure out how the data got leaked, reports The Press Trust of India.

Data has leaked from a number of government institutions tasked with collecting the data for various purposes. These institutions include the JDSS, the Kerela pension department and the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation.

According to the Aadhaar Act, publicly revealing Aadhaar numbers is illegal.

As expected, UIDAI’s stance is one of shifting blame than addressing the underlying issue. In the JDSS’ case, the UIDAI has asked the Jharkhand government to identify the officials and staffers responsible for the leak that resulted in Aadhaar numbers and private details of around 1.4 million pensioners to be leaked online.

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Pavan Duggal, a leading expert in Cyberlaw has pointed out multiple times that the Aadhaar Act is utterly inadequate when it comes to cybersecurity, protecting the privacy of individuals and for offering remedial options to affected persons.

Essentially, he said that the law “fails to provide parameters for cybersecurity.”

Unless this, and the innumerable issues surrounding Aadhaar are first addressed, leaks like this will only become more commonplace.