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Eight eMudhra intermediate certificate keys leaked, browsers block them
വാർത്തയിൽ എന്തുകൊണ്ട്?
Eight leaked eMudhra keys: who licenses India's Certifying Authorities? The IT Act 2000 answer for Prelims
Weak eMudhra CA keys were revoked and blocked by browsers, exposing government sites.
Why it matters: factual, Prelims-type
What you need to know
2 മിനിറ്റ്
Eight web security keys of eMudhra, a licensed Certifying Authority whose certificates are used by government bodies and PSUs, were found to be weak and leaked.
Browsers such as Google's and Mozilla's blocked the affected certificates.
Many government websites, including the Aadhaar issuer UIDAI and the income tax filing portal, were reported to be exposed.
In India, Certifying Authorities operate under the Information Technology Act, 2000, with licensing and oversight by the Controller of Certifying Authorities.
ഉറവിടങ്ങൾ: Topper IAS editorial (PIB / The Hindu / Indian Express)
പ്രധാന വസ്തുതകൾ
Remember these
- Eight intermediate web security keys of eMudhra were found weak and leaked
- eMudhra is a licensed Certifying Authority; its certificates are used by government bodies and PSUs
- Browsers such as Google's and Mozilla's blocked the affected certificates
- Government sites including UIDAI and the income tax filing portal were reported exposed
- Certifying Authorities operate under the Information Technology Act, 2000, with licensing and oversight by the Controller of Certifying Authorities
പ്രിലിംസ് · മെയിൻസ്
How the exam will ask it
പ്രിലിംസ്
- Certifying Authorities in India are licensed and supervised by the Controller of Certifying Authorities under the Information Technology Act, 2000.
- A Certifying Authority issues digital certificates that bind a public key to an identity; if its keys are compromised, browsers can block the certificates it issued.
- CERT-In is the national agency for cyber incident response and advisories, whereas licensing of Certifying Authorities rests with the Controller of Certifying Authorities.
മെയിൻസ്
GS-III (Cyber security): The leak of weak intermediate keys of a licensed Certifying Authority shows how a single point of failure in the trust chain can expose government portals. The IT Act, 2000 provides licensing and oversight through the Controller of Certifying Authorities, but implication is loss of public trust in e-governance services. Way forward: stricter audits and key-management standards for CAs, timely revocation, certificate transparency monitoring and incident disclosure norms.
Quick recall
Answer before you reveal
In India, Certifying Authorities that issue digital signature certificates are licensed and supervised by the:
- CERT-In
- Controller of Certifying Authorities
- Telecom Regulatory Authority of India
- Unique Identification Authority of India
ഉത്തരം കാണിക്കൂ
ഉത്തരം: B — The correct answer is Controller of Certifying Authorities. Under the Information Technology Act, 2000, the Controller of Certifying Authorities licenses and supervises Certifying Authorities.
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