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Introduction

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India’s new Policy for Data Sharing from the National Transport Repository (NTR) released by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) in August, 2025, can be seen as a constitutional turning point and a milestone in administrative efficiency. The state has established an unprecedentedly large unified infrastructure by combining the records of 390 million vehicles, 220 million driver’s licenses, and the streams from the e-challan, e-DAR, and FASTag systems. Its supporters hail its promise of private-sector innovation, data-driven research, and smooth governance. However, there is a troubling paradox beneath this facade of advancement: the very structures intended to improve citizen mobility may simultaneously strengthen widespread surveillance. Without strict protections, the NTR runs the risk of violating the constitutional trifecta of need, proportionality, and legality as stated in Puttaswamy v. UOI, which brings to light important issues at the nexus of liberty, law, and data.  

The other pertinent question to be addressed is as India unifies one of its comprehensive datasets on citizen mobility the question becomes more pressing: while motorised citizens are now in the spotlight for accountability, what about the millions of other datasets that are still dispersed, unregulated, and shared inconsistently in the areas of health, education, telecom, and welfare?

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The Legal Backdrop

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MoRTH grounds its new policy in Sections 25A and 62B of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. Data is consolidated into a single repository since states are required by Section 136A to electronically monitor road safety. According to the policy, it complies with the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023. 

The DPDP Act itself, however, is rife with state exclusions, particularly Sections 7 and 17, which give government organisations access to personal information for “any function under any law” or for law enforcement purposes. This is where the constitutional issue lies. Prior judicial supervision, warrants, or independent checks are not necessary. With legislative approval, MoRTH is essentially creating a national vehicle database without any constitutional protections. 

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Data, Domination and the New Privacy Paradigm

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As an efficiency and governance reform, VAHAN, SARATHI, e-challan, eDAR, and FASTag are being consolidated into a single National Transport Repository (NTR). However, centralising extensive mobility and identity-linked records on a large scale is more than just a technical advancement; it also changes how the state and private life interact. The NTR must therefore be interpreted through a more comprehensive privacy paradigm, one that acknowledges that data aggregation is a means of enhancing administrative capacity and has the potential to develop into a long-lasting tool of social control and surveillance unless both technological and constitutional restrictions are placed at the same time. 

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Two recent doctrinal developments sharpen this concern. First, the Supreme Court’s foundational ruling that privacy is a fundamental right remains the constitutional lodestar, any state interference must satisfy legality, necessity and proportionality (KS Puttaswamy & Anr. vs UOI). Second, as seen by the court’s most recent refusals to normalise ongoing, warrantless location monitoring, such as the ruling overturning bail requirements that required accused individuals to provide a Google maps pin, as movement tracking necessitates closer examination (Frank Vitus v. Narcotics Control Bureau & Ors.,).When taken as a whole, these authorities maintain that unrestricted, ongoing access to mobility and toll-transaction records is a constitutional issue and cannot be handled as an administrative convenience. 

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Structural Fault Lines in the NTR Framework

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Fundamentally, the NTR policy generates structural vulnerabilities by providing nearly unrestricted access through APIs and even mass transfers on physical media to a broad range of parties, including insurance companies, law enforcement, and intelligence services. This design undermines constitutional protections in three ways: first, it makes it possible to draw conclusions about private life patterns that the Supreme Court has identified as one of the most sensitive data categories by exposing rich mobility trails like FASTag logs and vehicle-linked identities; Second, it allows bulk datasets to circulate outside the ministry’s custodial boundary, which creates the possibility of function creep, secondary use, and monetisation risks reminiscent of the bulk sharing regime that the government itself once abandoned; and third, it introduces coercive exclusion by tying private sector access to Aadhaar-based OTP consent. 

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Reference

• https://morth.nic.in/sites/default/files/circulars_document/Data-Sharing-policy-20082025-merged.pdf

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Introduction

The digital realm is evolving at a rapid pace, revolutionising cyberspace at a breakneck speed. However, this dynamic growth has left several operational and regulatory lacunae in the fabric of cyberspace, which are exploited by cybercriminals for their ulterior motives. One of the threats that emerged rapidly in 2024 is proxyjacking, in which vulnerable systems are exploited by cyber criminals to sell their bandwidth to third-party proxy servers. This cyber threat poses a significant threat to organisations and individual servers. 

Proxyjacking is a kind of cyber attack that leverages legit bandwidth sharing services such as Peer2Profit and HoneyGain. These are legitimate platforms but proxyjacking occurs when such services are exploited without user consent. These services provide the opportunity to monetize their surplus internet bandwidth by sharing with other users. The model itself is harmless but provides an avenue for numerous cyber hostilities.  The participants install net-sharing software and add the participating system to the proxy network, enabling users to route their traffic through the system. This setup intends to enhance privacy and provide access to geo-locked content. 

The Modus Operandi

These systems are hijacked by cybercriminals, who sell the bandwidth of infected devices. This is achieved by establishing Secure Shell (SSH) connections to vulnerable servers. While hackers rarely use honeypots to render elaborate scams, the technical possibility of them doing so cannot be discounted. Cowrie Honeypots, for instance, are engineered to emulate UNIX systems. Attackers can use similar tactics to gain unauthorized access to poorly secured systems. Once inside the system, attackers utilise legit tools such as public docker images to take over proxy monetization services. These tools are undetectable to anti-malware software due to being genuine software in and of themselves. Endpoint detection and response (EDR) tools also struggle with the same threats.

The Major Challenges 

Limitation Of Current Safeguards – current malware detection software is unable to distinguish between malicious and genuine use of bandwidth services, as the nature of the attack is not inherently malicious. 

Bigger Threat Than Crypto-Jacking – Proxyjacking poses a bigger threat than cryptojacking, where systems are compromised to mine crypto-currency. Proxyjacking uses minimal system resources rendering it more challenging to identify. As such, proxyjacking offers perpetrators a higher degree of stealth because it is a resource-light technique, whereas cryptojacking can leave CPU and GPU usage footprints.

Role of Technology in the Fight Against Proxyjacking

Advanced Safety Measures- Implementing advanced safety measures is crucial in combating proxyjacking. Network monitoring tools can help detect unusual traffic patterns indicative of proxyjacking. Key-based authentication for SSH can significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized access, ensuring that only trusted devices can establish connections. Intrusion Detection Systems and Intrusion Prevention Systems can go a long way towards monitoring unusual outbound traffic.

Robust Verification Processes- sharing services must adopt robust verification processes to ensure that only legitimate users are sharing bandwidth. This could include stricter identity verification methods and continuous monitoring of user activities to identify and block suspicious behaviour. 

Policy Recommendations

Verification for Bandwidth Sharing Services – Mandatory verification standards should be enforced for bandwidth-sharing services, including stringent Know Your Customer (KYC) protocols to verify the identity of users. A strong regulatory body would ensure proper compliance with verification standards and impose penalties. The transparency reports must document the user base, verification processes and incidents. 

Robust SSH Security Protocols – Key-based authentication for SSH across organisations should be mandated, to neutralize the risk of brute force attacks. Mandatory security audits of SSH configuration within organisations to ensure best practices are complied with and vulnerabilities are identified will help. Detailed logging of SSH attempts will streamline the process of identification and investigation of suspicious behaviour. 

Effective Anomaly Detection System – Design a standard anomaly detection system to monitor networks. The industry-wide detection system should focus on detecting inconsistencies in traffic patterns indicating proxy-jacking. Establishing mandatory protocols for incident reporting to centralised authority should be implemented. The system should incorporate machine learning in order to stay abreast with evolving attack methodologies.

Framework for Incident Response – A national framework should include guidelines for investigation, response and remediation to be followed by organisations. A centralized database can be used for logging and tracking all proxy hacking incidents, allowing for information sharing on a real-time basis. This mechanism will aid in identifying emerging trends and common attack vectors. 

Whistleblower Incentives – Enacting whistleblower protection laws will ensure the proper safety of individuals reporting proxyjacking activities. Monetary rewards provide extra incentives and motivate individuals to join whistleblowing programs. To provide further protection to whistleblowers, secure communication channels can be established which will ensure full anonymity to individuals. 

Conclusion

Proxyjacking represents an insidious and complicated threat in cyberspace. By exploiting legitimate bandwidth-sharing services, cybercriminals can profit while remaining entirely anonymous. Addressing this issue requires a multifaceted approach, including advanced anomaly detection systems, effective verification systems, and comprehensive incident response frameworks. These measures of strong cyber awareness among netizens will ensure a healthy and robust cyberspace. 

References 

• https://gridinsoft.com/blogs/what-is-proxyjacking/
• https://www.darkreading.com/cyber-risk/ssh-servers-hit-in-proxyjacking-cyberattacks
• https://therecord.media/hackers-use-log4j-in-proxyjacking-scheme

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In what is being stated by experts to be one of the largest data breaches of all time, approximately 16 billion passwords were exposed online last week. According to various news reports, the leak contains credentials spanning a broad array of online services, including Facebook, Instagram, Gmail, etc., creating a serious alarm across the globe. Cybersecurity specialists have noted that this leak poses immense risks of account takeovers, identity theft, and enabling phishing scams. The leaked data is being described as a “collection-of-collections,” with multiple previously breached databases compiled into one easy-to-access repository for cybercriminals.

Infostealer Malware and Why It’s a Serious Threat

This incident brought to light a type of malware that experts refer to as the Infostealer. Just as the name suggests, this is a malware program made expressly to take personal information from compromised computers and devices, including cookies, session tokens, browser data, login credentials, and more. It targets high-value credentials, as opposed to ransomware, which encrypts files for ransom, or spyware that passively watches users. Once installed, they silently gather passwords, screenshots, and other information while hiding inside unassuming software, such as a game, utility, or browser plugin. Once stolen, these credentials are then combined by hackers to create databases, which are then offered for sale on dark web forums or even made public, as was the case in this breach. This is particularly risky since, if session tokens or other browser data are also taken, these credentials can be used to get around even two-factor authentication. As a result, the leak would also enable the rise of other crimes such as phishing.

Guidelines for protection 

In response to this breach, India’s Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-IN) issued an advisory, urging all internet users to take immediate action to protect their accounts. Although this is in response to the specific data leak, these are some key measures advised to be followed to maintain a general standard of cyber hygiene at all times.

• Reset your passwords: In case of incidents such as the above, users are advised to change the passwords of their accounts immediately. More so of the ones that have been compromised and need to be prioritised, such as email, online banking, and social media etc.
• Use strong, unique passwords and password manager features: Avoid password reuse across platforms. Using a password manager on a trusted platform can aid in storing and recalling them for different accounts.
• Monitor account activity: Check activity logs, especially for signs of unrecognised login attempts or password-reset notifications.
• Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): The user is advised to enable two-step verification (via an app like Google Authenticator or a hardware key), which will add an extra security layer.
• Phishing attacks: Cybercriminals will likely attempt to use leaked credentials to impersonate legitimate companies and send phishing emails. Read carefully before clicking on any links or attachments received.
• Scan devices for malware: Run updated antivirus or anti-malware scans to catch and remove infostealers or other malicious software lurking on your device.

Why This Data Breach is a Wake-Up Call

With 16 billion credentials exposed, this breach highlights the critical need for robust personal cybersecurity hygiene. It also reveals the persistent role of infostealer malware in feeding a global cybercrime economy, one where credentials are the most valuable assets. As Infosecurity Europe and other analysts highlight, infostealers are lightweight, often distributed via phishing or malicious downloads, and are highly effective at lifting data in the background without alerting the user. Even up-to-date antivirus software can struggle to catch new variants, making proactive security practices with respect to such malware all the more essential. In a time where data is everything, access to credentials can derive power and safety, regarding it must be kept in check.

Conclusion

This breach is a reminder that cybersecurity is a shared responsibility. Even with protective systems in place with respect to the industries and official authorities, every internet user must do their part in protecting themselves through cyber hygiene practices such as resetting passwords, using multi-factor authentication, staying vigilant against phishing scams, and ensuring devices are regularly scanned for malware. While breaches like this can seem overwhelming and might create a surge of panic, practical measures go a long way in mitigating exposure. Staying informed and proactive is the best defence one can adopt in a rapidly evolving threat landscape. 

References

• https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/us/16-billion-passwords-exposed-in-unprecedented-cyber-leak-of-2025-experts-raise-global-alarm/articleshow/121961165.cms?from=mdr 
• https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/technology/tech-news/16-billion-passwords-leaked-on-internet-what-you-need-to-know-to-protect-your-facebook-instagram-gmail-and-other-accounts/articleshow/121967191.cms  
• https://indianexpress.com/article/technology/tech-news-technology/16-billion-passwords-leaked-online-what-we-know-10077546/ 
• https://indianexpress.com/article/technology/tech-news-technology/16-billion-passwords-leaked-online-what-we-know-10077546/  
• https://www.hindustantimes.com/business/certin-issues-advisory-after-data-breach-of-16-billion-credentials-asks-people-to-change-passwords-101750779940872.html  
• https://www.cert-in.org.in/s2cMainServlet?pageid=PUBVLNOTES02&VLCODE=CIAD-2025-0024  ‍
• https://www.infosecurityeurope.com/en-gb/blog/threat-vectors/guide-infostealer-malware.html