Title: Personal Data Theft: How ‘The Fourth’ Exposed Flaws in Covid Vaccine Registration
Introduction:
The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in widespread efforts to vaccinate people across the world. While the vaccination drive is a positive step towards ending the pandemic, it has led to concerns about data privacy and security. A Malayalam media outlet called ‘The Fourth’ recently exposed how personal data of Covid-19 vaccine recipients in India was at risk of being stolen. In this article, we discuss how ‘The Fourth’ highlighted the issue and what others can learn from it.
How ‘The Fourth’ Exposed Personal Data Theft:
The Fourth reported that it was possible to obtain personal data such as date of birth, ID used to register a Covid vaccine, place where the first dose was received, gender, and phone number of an individual through a simple web script. The script could scrape data from the government’s website that was created to facilitate vaccine registration. While the website required registration for data access, the script allowed unfettered access without authentication or authorization. This implied that anyone with basic skills in programming could access a large database of personal data. Furthermore, the website did not encrypt the data, making it easier to steal.
The Impact of Exposed Data Theft:
The exposure of such data theft can have dire consequences. It can lead to identity theft, financial fraud, harassment, and even blackmail. Moreover, it can result in the manipulation of public health data, such as vaccine efficacy rates, and affect policy decisions. For instance, if the number of vaccinated people is inflated, it can lead to a false sense of security, leading to more infections and deaths. Therefore, it is crucial to take measures to ensure data privacy and security.
What Others Can Learn from This:
The Fourth’s report highlights the need for better data privacy and security measures to protect personal data. Public body systems and websites should use robust encryption and authentication techniques to safeguard personal data. Furthermore, there should be a clear policy on data retention, data sharing, and data deletion. Any unnecessary data should be deleted promptly to minimize data breaches.
Employees working with personal data should be trained regularly on data hygiene practices, including password security, malware prevention, and social engineering tactics. Any suspicious activity related to data theft should be immediately reported to the compliance team. Regular penetration testing and vulnerability assessments should be conducted to identify weaknesses in the system.
Additional Piece:
While the current discussions about data privacy and security mainly revolve around personal data, there is a broader issue at play – the regulation of data. In many parts of the world, data is treated as a commodity that can be freely traded by corporations and governments. This approach has resulted in a lack of transparency, accountability, and fairness in data practices. It has led to the concentration of data ownership and monopolies, which can harm individual privacy and competition in the market.
Therefore, it is essential to take a more holistic approach to data regulation. Any data protection law should not only address data privacy but also data ownership, regulation, and accountability. For instance, there should be clear guidelines on how data is collected, who owns the data, and what can be done with the data. Moreover, there should be a centralized data protection authority that ensures compliance with the data protection laws.
Conclusion and Summary:
In conclusion, ‘The Fourth’s report highlights the importance of data privacy and security, especially in the healthcare sector. While there are current measures in place to protect personal data, it is essential to take a broader approach to data regulation that incorporates data ownership, accountability, and regulation. It is crucial to create a regulatory framework that ensures fairness, transparency, and competition in data practices. The Fourth has shown other entities how to expose such flaws and make way toward better protection.
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Malayalam media outlet called ‘The Fourth’ showed how it was possible to obtain personal data such as date of birth, ID used to register a Covid vaccine, place where first dose was received, gender and phone . name of an individual.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-65880173?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA
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