4 arrested in ICMR data leak case, action taken after investigation by central agencies

New Delhi: Delhi Police has arrested four people in the data leak case from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

The arrests come after a probe by central probe agencies revealed that personal details of over 81 crore Indians were stolen from ICMR’s data bank and offered for sale on the dark web. Sources said the accused were detained after a massive search in three different states.

The accused, who allegedly met on a gaming platform, conspired to hack the data and capitalize on the sale for quick financial gains. Earlier this year, the Cyber Cell of Delhi Police took suo motu cognizance of the situation after reports emerged regarding a significant data breach.

In October this year, in a massive data breach, data of over 81.5 crore citizens held by ICMR was available for sale on the dark web, including vital information like name, phone numbers and addresses along with Aadhaar and passport details . The data breach, spotted by US-based cyber security and intelligence firm Resecurity, noted that “On October 9, an individual with the alias ‘PWN0001’ brokered access to the Aadhaar and passport records of 81.5 crore Indian citizens on a breach forum. Had posted a thread saying “.