IIT panel grants security clearance to examiner-facing CBSE evaluation portal

IIT Panel Approves Security Clearance for CBSE Evaluation Portal

IIT panel grants security clearance to examiner - The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) re-evaluation portal, which is now accessible to examiners, has been deemed secure by the IIT panel. This decision follows heightened scrutiny of the platform's safety after reports of cyber threats emerged during the evaluation process.

Cyberattack Incident

On June 3, CBSE’s re-evaluation platform was subjected to a significant cyberattack. The assault involved approximately 3.8 million malicious data packets, aiming to disrupt the verification and re-evaluation operations.

"The attacks were successfully contained, and all services, including answer-book access and re-evaluation processes, remained functional," the Board stated.

Security Enhancements

An IIT panel member shared insights with ANI on Monday, revealing that the new system maintains core functionalities of the previous portal but includes improved security measures. These upgrades aim to bolster data protection and resolve vulnerabilities exposed during the audit.

"The revised portal has been reinforced with extra safeguards to minimize risks and ensure secure management of examination data," the official noted.

Examiner Access and Data Transfer

The IIT panel highlighted critical security gaps in the COEMPT Eduteck Pvt Ltd platform, which allowed unauthorized data access. Multiple pathways for data exposure were identified. As a result, all answer-sheet records have been moved to CBSE servers to enhance control over security and operational integrity.

Collaborative Review Efforts

To address security concerns, CBSE enlisted cybersecurity experts from IIT Kanpur and IIT Madras. These teams spent over ten days analyzing and fortifying the two primary systems: the CBSE registration portal and the OSM re-evaluation portal.

Application Statistics

As of June 4, the Board reported 70,433 applications submitted via its post-result grievance redressal system. Of these, 7,314 pertained to mark verification, while 63,119 were for re-evaluation requests.

Political Context

Rahul Gandhi engaged in a meeting with Sarthak Sidhant, a teenage investigator who raised questions about the CBSE re-evaluation deadline extension. During the discussion, Gandhi remarked, "Modi wants youth to make reels instead," referencing the scrutiny the board faced.