What Does OPM Hack Mean To India | TechTree.com

What Does OPM Hack Mean To India

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What Does OPM Hack Mean To India

You might have been hearing a lot about the OPM hack these days. Last month, it was believed that the stolen database contained information on about four million American individuals. Now, the number is said to be over 20 million. As reported by The New York Times and CNN, the hack traces back to the Chinese government. Now, let us understand what does it mean to us in India.

 

Why Is It A Big Deal?
Reports about some server getting hacked isn't something new. Tech giants like Sony and Apple have been hacked multiple times. However, this time around, the compromised data belongs to the United States Office of Personnel Management (OPM). It involves records of millions of federal employees (including military personnel), veterans, and contractors. The profiles are so detailed that it lists each individual's family, friends, and possible weakness (that could be used to blackmail the individual). Now, imagine all this data in the hands of America's enemies. Little wonder then that the OPM hack is considered a catastrophe in the US.

Why Would China Do That?
After the fall of Soviet Union, US has been seen as the only global superpower. In recent years though, the dragon from the East has managed to challenge the US on many fronts including the economy. When it comes to the military though, Chinese need much more than just numbers to intimidate the most battle-experienced army in the world. This is where such information theft can make a difference. Many countries have already accused China of having cyber battalion trained to steal sensitive information worldwide.

Is India Safe?
If the Chinese government can pull off a hack related to the US military records, breaching Indian cyber security would not be a big deal for them. Maybe China has been doing this with its neighbour for years, but nobody in India knows the magnitude of its seriousness yet? With the rising popularity of Chinese gadgets in India, things would have become even easier for them. Remember, how Indian Navy's data was stolen via infected pen drives back in 2012? This should also explain why IAF (Indian Air Force) banned its personnel from using Xiaomi phones that were detected sending user data to Chinese servers.


Tags : Internet, Security

 
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