Hacker attempts to sell Indian citizen data on dark web

Indian Adhaar data on dark web: An American cybersecurity agency named Resecurity has brought to light a massive data breach affecting more than 80 crore Indian citizens. The agency disclosed that an individual using the alias 'pwn0001' was selling the data of approximately 81.5 crore Indians on the dark web. Recent media reports also shed more light on the situation, revealing that the data was originally procured in bulk from another source on the dark web. 

It's reported that the database, which contained sensitive information about these individuals, was purchased from a now-defunct dark web forum last year for $50,000 (equivalent to Rs 41.64 lakh).

Aadhaar and Passport details of Indians

The database was advertised as containing Aadhaar and Passport details of Indian citizens. However, the user named ‘pwn0001’ has clarified that only 10 per cent of the data contains Aadhaar details, and passport details are present in only a few thousand records. The hacker has stated that they are attempting to sell this database for $80,000 to recoup their investment.

Resecurity, the cybersecurity agency, indicated that pwn0001 provided some spreadsheets as evidence to persuade potential buyers. These spreadsheets contained segments of Aadhaar data. Notably, one of these data segments encompassed details of 1,00,000 people residing in India. The HUNTER team at Resecurity claims to have verified certain Aadhaar Card IDs from this sample data.

According to the report, pwn0001, the data seller, commented, “The data was not as it was marketed. Only 10 per cent of the database has Aadhaar details, and only a few thousand have passport details.”