Rejecting all claims into data breach of the email system of the Union government, which is maintained by the National Informatics Centre (NIC), the Centre has said that there was no such cyber breach. “The email system is totally safe and secure,” NIC said in a statement.
“In view of this it is important to clarify that firstly, there has been no cyber breach into the email system of the Government of India maintained by the National Informatics Centre (NIC). The email system is totally safe and secure,” said the statement by the Union Ministry of Electronics & IT.
This comes following reports on the impact of data breaches in organisations such as Air India, Big Basket and Domino's which claimed that these breaches have exposed email accounts and passwords of NIC emails to the hackers.
NIC in a statement maintained that the cybersecurity breach on external portals may not impact the users of government Email Service unless the government users have registered on these portals using their government email address and have used the same password as the one used in the government email account.
The NIC Email system has put in place several security measures such as two-factor authentication and change of password in 90 days, said the official statement.
Government clarifies that there is no cyber breach into NIC email system.
Details: https://t.co/cXGa6RE00V@GoI_MeitY @NICMeity @rsprasad @SanjayDhotreMP pic.twitter.com/yXEI7fZ89B
— PIB_India MeitY (@MeityPib) June 13, 2021
Further, any change of password in NIC Email requires mobile OTP and if the mobile OTP is incorrect then a change of password will not be possible. “Any attempt of phishing using NIC Email can be mitigated by NIC.
NIC also claimed that it undertakes user awareness drives from time to time and keeps updating the users about potential risks and safety protocols,” NIC said.
