Cyber Attack Disrupts CBSE Revaluation Portal Amid Payment Issues

Cybersecurity Breach Affects CBSE Revaluation Process

A significant cybersecurity incident has caused chaos among students applying for revaluation of their exam results from the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). Government sources confirmed on Friday that there was "unauthorized access" to the payment system of the CBSE revaluation portal, leading to interference by approximately 50 students.

A senior government official informed a news agency that unauthorized attacks occurred on the portal, which is linked to the HDFC Bank payment gateway. During this incident, over 50 students managed to breach the system.

Payment Discrepancies Arise

Due to this breach, the portal began displaying incorrect fee amounts, with some cases showing fees ranging from just 1 rupee to nearly 67,000-68,000 rupees.

The source mentioned, "It seems that as a joke or with ill intent, the amount displayed fluctuated from 1 rupee to 67-68,000 rupees. Approximately 50 students experienced changes in their fee amounts."

Issues Linked to HDFC Payment Gateway

The discrepancies were associated with the HDFC payment gateway connected to the system, occurring when the portal went live. The source added, "It appears that the portal had not been operational for some time. There were issues regarding the amounts, and the 50 students who accessed it tampered with the system."

Collaboration for System Improvement

Four public sector banks—State Bank of India, Canara Bank, Indian Bank, and Bank of Maharashtra—have been added as additional payment gateways. Experts from IIT Madras and IIT Kanpur are collaborating with the Digital Infrastructure Corporation of India to investigate the system and strengthen the integration of the portal and payment gateway. The source further stated, "Teams are reviewing the code and system to ensure it operates smoothly without disruptions."

Discussion on Payment and Technical Issues

On May 24, the Prime Minister discussed payment and technical difficulties faced by students during the revaluation process with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman following the CBSE results. The Ministry of Education reported that it was decided during this discussion that the four mentioned public sector banks would assist CBSE in enhancing its payment gateway infrastructure and necessary integration with the post-exam portal. The source noted, "Thus, their payment gateway has been synchronized with the CBSE portal. I believe we conducted a test run yesterday, and it appeared to be functioning correctly."