The importance of keeping personally identifiable information safe (GS Paper 3, Science and Technology)
Why in news?
- Recently, the Ministry of Corporate Affairs fixed a critical vulnerability in its online portal months after a cybersecurity researcher reported it to the Computer Emergency Response Team of India (CERT-In).
- The vulnerability reportedly exposed personal details like Aadhaar, PAN, voter identity, passport, date of birth, contact number and address of more than 98 lakh directors of Indian companies.
- The vulnerability also exposed the personal data of top industrialists, celebrities, and sports personalities in the country.
What is Personally Identifiable Information?
- Personally Identifiable Information (PII) is any data or information maintained by an organisation or agency that can potentially be used to identify a specific individual. This could include information such as Aadhaar, PAN, voter identity, passport, date of birth, contact number, communication address, and biometric information.
- The constituents of PII vary depending on an individual’s home country. However, non-PII in tandem with additional information can be used to identify an individual.
- Non-PII information includes photographic images (especially of the face or other identifying characteristics), place of birth, religion, geographic indicators, employment information, educational qualifications, and medical records.
- All this information can be used to identify individuals accurately. And while access to one set of PII may be enough to compromise online security, access to multiple databases can be used to identify and target individuals.
What is the difference between sensitive and non-sensitive PII?
- Non-sensitive PII is publicly available information and can be stored and transmitted unencrypted. This includes information such as zip code, race, gender, and religion. They cannot be used to accurately identify an individual.
- Sensitive PII, when exposed, can be used to identify individuals and potentially cause harm. Some of the most important components that constitute sensitive PII are stored by employers, government organisations, banks, and other digital accounts used by individuals.
What are the risks of PII exposure?
- Cyberattacks and weaknesses in digital infrastructure can lead to the exposure of citizens’ PII. Threat actors can gain access to exposed PII and misuse it to launch targeted attacks on individuals.
- These attacks could range from phishing attacks with messages curated with PII information, to fraudulently opening bank accounts, and siphoning funds from accounts allotted to beneficiaries of government welfare programmes.
- Threat actors may also use such information to obtain cellular connections, credit cards, and compromise the security of an individual’s digital accounts. Threat actors are also known to sell exposed PII information on the dark web.
What are the recent events where PII was compromised?
- In 2023, reports emerged that a bot on Telegram was returning the personal data of Indian citizens who registered with the COVID-19 vaccine intelligence network (CoWIN) portal for vaccination purposes.
- A similar data breach was reported when an American cybersecurity company said that the PII of 815 million Indian citizens, including Aadhaar numbers and passport details, were being sold on the dark web. A data breach was also reported in the RailYatri platform in January 2023.
- Additionally, 67% of Indian government and essential services organisations experienced over a 50% increase in disruptive cyberattacks.
Bharatiya Antariksha Station
(GS Paper 3, Science and Technology)
Why in news?
- Recently, Indian Prime Minister sparked India’s ambition with the proposal of a Bhartiya Antariksha Station (BAS).
- The station is aimed at orbiting 400 km above Earth, hosting astronauts for up to 20 days starting in 2035.
- This vision is part of ISRO’s grand plan, which includes mastering human spaceflight, building station modules, and eventually landing humans on the Moon by 2040.
Why does India need a space station?
- A permanent space station will help establish a microgravity laboratory for research in physics, materials science, and life sciences.
- Crystal growth and fluid behaviour experiments in microgravity can yield practical applications in manufacturing and pharmaceuticals. The station will help drive technological innovation, particularly in robotics and life support systems. This progress will further enhance India’s human spaceflight capabilities by providing crucial data on the effects of prolonged space travel.
- Beyond scientific benefits, the station will fuel economic growth by generating employment and stimulating R&D initiatives. The development of space-related infrastructure will contribute to India's economic trajectory.
- The space program will also help the military prowess of the nation. Although India does not have a declared space policy document, official statements in the Parliament, and the United Nations indicate a much-needed military orientation.
- The armed forces have used the GSAT-7 advanced satellites to meet the communication needs, but the BAS will provide far more significant strategic advances, enabling enhanced border surveillance and reconnaissance.
- India’s close collaboration with experienced spacefaring nations like the United States and Russia offers invaluable benefits. By sharing technological expertise and leveraging combined resources significant cost reductions can be achieved.
- US' willingness to support India’s construction of a commercial space station is a testament to the growing space partnership.
- India’s active involvement in space initiatives reflects a deeper commitment to the principles of pragmatic space exploration. Through these endeavors, a new generation of scientists, engineers, and researchers, will develop a passion for discovery and innovation.
- Such a value extends far beyond the boundaries of space science, fostering a broader interest in STEM disciplines. But establishing a space station is no easy task.
The challenges ahead:
- Currently, China is the only country with its own self-built Tiangong Space Station.
- The International Space Station (ISS) is a collaborative effort between a dozen countries and took a decade to assemble. By 2030, even the ISS will be decommissioned and will fall back to earth.
- If India is to launch a space station by 2035, it will have to heavily rely on diplomacy for both collaboration and potential geopolitical implications.
- The other issue is the huge costs of building, and keeping the space station functional and safe. ISS has a price tag of $150 billion, the most expensive human project ever built. The Chinese Tiangong Space Station was built for $8.5 billion.
- If India needs to successfully build its own Space Station, there is need to be prepared for an annual allocation of Rs. 5,000 crore just for this project over the next decade. To assist in some of these estimated costs, the budget 2024 has allocated Rs. 13,042 crores ($1.5 billion) which will help in aiding preparations for both the manned spaceflight - the Gaganyaan mission and, eventually, the BAS.
Conclusion:
- India will thus need to strike a balance between developmental requirements and significant security concerns, crucial for its ambition to establish itself as a new space power.
- In the 21st century’s new space race, the focus is on science, politics, and low-cost innovation. The recent success of the Chandrayaan-3 and Aditya L1 has given India a lead in the new geopolitics of space.
- With Russia facing isolation after its invasion of Ukraine and the US and Europe struggling to find resources to fund their respective space missions, a space-based competition between India and China looms.
- The two rival neighbours hold the key to taking the lead in the realm outside the boundaries of Earth, influencing the future for decades to come.
