Aadhaar is a 12-digit unique identification number issued by the Indian government to each Indian citizen. The Unique Identification Authority of India (UDAI), which functions under the Planning Commission of India, is responsible for managing Aadhaar numbers and Aadhaar identification cards. The purpose of Aadhaar cards is to have a single, unique identification document or number that links a consumer’s entire details including demographic and biometric information. The Aadhaar card/UID does not replace the other identification documents but can be used as the sole identification proof when applying services that require identification. It also serves as the basis for Know Your Customer (KYC) norms used by banks, financial institutions and other businesses that maintain customer profiles. Risk of Aadhaar biometrics Biometric data, unlike passwords, can never be changed, so if hackers successfully impersonate a fingerprint then they can cause serious havoc, and there is not much the...
What does 2018 have in store for cyber security, and could it possibly be worse than this year? There are only a couple of near-certainties for cybersecurity in 2018: that the market will continue to be buoyant and that attacks will become more sophisticated. Gartner predicts worldwide security spending will reach $96 billion in 2018, up eight percent from this year – good news for the cyber security industrial complex . Image credit: iStock It’s easy to see why. If any year can lay claim to be the one where cybersecurity problems really entered mainstream discourse, 2017 is a good candidate. The year got started with a hangover from 2016 that suggested Russian interference in the run-up to America’s election, and possible interference in the Brexit vote from coordinated astroturfing campaigns on social media and forums. That wheel kept turning and now ‘state sponsored’ has become something of a synonym, whether correctly or not, for ‘Russia’ – with busine...