The alleged BSNL data breach came to light when the threat actor, Perell, posted a sample dataset on a dark web forum. The dataset reportedly contains 32,000 lines of sensitive details concerning fiber and landline users
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), the state-owned telecom operator, is purportedly grappling with a data breach. A threat actor known as “Perell” has claimed access to critical information related to BSNL’s users, raising alarms about the privacy and security of BSNL customers.
The alleged BSNL data breach came to light when the threat actor, Perell, posted a sample dataset on a dark web forum. The dataset reportedly contains 32,000 lines of sensitive details concerning fiber and landline users. The total number of lines across all databases is claimed to be a staggering 2.9 million, encompassing email addresses, billing details, contact numbers, and various other sensitive information.
The gravity of the situation can be measured by the fact that BSNL is one of the largest telecom providers in India, making the compromise of user privacy a pressing concern. While the company is yet to confirm the security incident, Cert-In, India’s national cybersecurity agency, has been alerted to the BSNL cyberattack.
Kanishk Gaur, founder of India Future Foundation, expressed deep concern about the BSNL data breach, emphasising its far-reaching implications for both BSNL and its users. Notably, Baptiste Robert, CEO at PredictaLabOff, recalled a 2018 data breach involving a SQL injection in BSNL’s intranet website, compromising information on over 47,000 BSNL employees and senior officers.
Saket Modi, co-founder and CEO of Safe Security, a cyber risk management startup, shed light on the potential nature of the breach. In a conversation with The Economic Times, he highlighted that the hacker claims around 2.9 million rows of data, indicating a high probability of a breach on a single website.
The severity of the situation underscores the need for swift action and transparency to address potential privacy and security ramifications for BSNL users.