BSNL server vulnerable to hacking; shows a 19 yr old

In a recent incident, Nikhil Thakur – a 19 year old ethical hacker – broke into Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) – and got access to some confidential databases.  By his action he tried to show to the establishment, how vulnerable these websites are and how much risk the customers of this company are facing.

Before he hacked into the site, he had sent an email to the Chief Executive of the BSNL, but never received a reply.

That the sites are in such states of vulnerability is scary enough.  But the reaction to the kid’s effort is even more scary!

However, deputy superintendent of police (cyber crime cell) Deepak Thakur said, “Hacking government websites is a punishable offence and attracts three years jail. Before proving his point, the teenager should have taken BSNL authorities and police into confidence and also BSNL should build a foolproof server so such incidents should not occur again.”

Really?  At least the kid is going through the site and letting the authorities know AFTER he has already tried to contact them and has been brushed aside by a technically illiterate Chief Executive!  He is not required to do that… thats the job of the Cyber Crime cell of the Government.  So, this clueless DSP needs to first understand what his job should typically entail!  Before he goes around bringing down kids who are doing HIS work for him!

Ostensibly, the Governments cannot always anticipate of fight such crime – hacking – (specifically by mal-intentioned enemy countries) on their own.  Professional hackers know how to do it better.  Therefore, in most Western countries there is a healthy relationship between the Government Intelligence and the hackers who are independent.

But somehow, India’s Cyber Crime branch doesn’t have the right attitude to fight hacking.