The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has made a startling revelation regarding the security of its digital infrastructure. The board has officially claimed that its dedicated application portal for the re-evaluation of Class 12 answer sheets is being targeted by hackers. This portal, which was launched on June 2 to facilitate students seeking a review of their marks, has been experiencing significant technical disruptions. According to the board, these issues aren't merely technical glitches but the result of deliberate attempts by malicious actors to compromise the system and obstruct the application process for thousands of students across the country.
Details of the Denial of Service Attack
Based on critical inputs provided by its internal cyber security team, CBSE has identified the nature of the interference as a 'Denial of Service' (DoS) attack. This specific type of cyber assault is designed to overwhelm a server with an excessive volume of traffic, effectively shutting down services for legitimate users. The board reported that the intensity of the attack was extreme, with the portal recording a staggering 1500000 hits within a window of only 2 minutes. In addition to this massive traffic surge, the security systems detected more than 100000 attempts to access internal files without any authorization. CBSE stated that these mischievous elements have been bombarding the portal with cyber attacks to disrupt the essential services provided to the students.
Current Status of Applications and System Capacity
Despite the persistent cyber threats and the resulting difficulties faced by students, the board has managed to keep the process moving. CBSE has clarified that the re-evaluation portal is currently designed to support more than 8000 concurrent users, allowing a significant number of students to apply simultaneously. Providing an update on the progress of the applications, the board mentioned that by 3:00 PM on June 2, more than 16000 students had successfully completed their re-evaluation application process. This indicates that while the attacks have caused delays and frustration, the system remains functional under the supervision of the technical team.
System Improvements and Board Vigilance
In response to the feedback received from students regarding the difficulties in accessing the portal, CBSE has taken proactive measures to enhance the platform's performance. One of the key updates includes increasing the session time limit, which is intended to make the application process more convenient and user-friendly for students who might be facing slow connection speeds due to the high traffic. The board emphasized that its technical teams are fully alert and working tirelessly to ensure that students receive all possible assistance. The primary goal remains to provide a smooth and secure environment for students to exercise their right to re-evaluation without being hindered by external cyber threats.
History of Security Concerns and Previous Incidents
This isn't the first time that the CBSE portal has come under the scanner for security vulnerabilities. The board's digital platforms have faced hacking incidents in the past as well. In a previous instance, the portal launched for obtaining scanned copies of Class 12 answer sheets was compromised. During that incident, hackers reportedly demanded a fee of 8000 rupees for a single subject's scanned copy, whereas the official fee determined by the board was only 100 rupees per subject. CBSE had later acknowledged that hacking had indeed taken place. On top of that, ethical hacker Nisarg has consistently claimed that the CBSE portal possesses vulnerabilities that make it relatively easy to hack. These recurring issues have raised serious concerns regarding the potential leakage of students' personal data and the overall robustness of the board's cyber security framework.