Is India’s Central Database Secure from Identity Theft?
Indian citizens at risk of identity theft because of their healthcare?
By Lydia Richins, Marketing —
The Government and the Aadhaar Card
While India is just a third of the size of the United States it holds over three times the population. Unfortunately, some citizens claim the Indian government has put everyone at risk of identity theft. In recent years the Indian government has worked relentlessly to catalog all of its citizens into one, central database. In order to register for what’s called an “Aadhaar card,” a resident’s photo, thumbprint, and iris scan are taken and uploaded into the system. While citizens are not legally obligated to register themselves (the Indian Supreme court ruled in favor of privacy), the card is mandatory for many essential government services, and has even been made a requirement for many banks. One report claims that a women died after being denied medical care at a hospital because she didn’t have her Aadhaar card.
Security Is Challenged
Meanwhile, some citizens are anxious about the security of the card. This anxiety increased with a report posted in the Tribune asserting that one of their reporters was able to contact an illegal group in India that had access to the system that printed the Aadhaar cards. The reporter claims that for $8, she bought Indian citizen’s names, email addresses and phone numbers. The fraudster even offered her access to the main system for another $5. However India’s Unique Identification Authority (the agency over the Aadhaar cards) has come out with a statement supporting the security of their system and saying the reporters claims were “unfounded.” Other government officials made similar statements.
Who To Trust?
So where’s the truth of the matter-the reporter who just wants a good story, or a biased government agency? If each citizen took an IdentityDetect™ test,we’d know with 90 percent accuracy who can be trusted. Non-intrusive, unbiased, and budget friendly, it’s the ideal credibility test for situations like these and many many others.
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Photo by / Martha Domingues
