1.5M hits in 2 minutes: CBSE's re-evaluation portal faces cyberattack
What's the story
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has reported multiple cyberattack attempts on its re-evaluation portal. The attacks came as over 16,000 students submitted applications for verification of answer books and re-evaluation of marks. By 3:00pm today, the portal was handling over 8,000 concurrent users.
Attack details
Attack attempts included unauthorized access to files
CBSE's cybersecurity teams detected a denial-of-service attack attempt that resulted in nearly 1.5 million hits on the portal in just two minutes. There were also over one lakh unauthorized access attempts to files associated with the system. Despite these attacks, CBSE said its portal remained functional and continued accepting student applications.
Launch delay
Portal launched after delay due to technical upgrades
The re-evaluation portal was launched on June 2, after delay from its initial schedule. The delay was due to additional work to strengthen infrastructure and ensure smooth application process. Earlier, students had complained about difficulties accessing scanned answer books after Class 12 results were declared.
System improvement
CBSE addresses cybersecurity concerns
In recent weeks, cybersecurity concerns had been raised after researchers pointed out alleged vulnerabilities in some CBSE-linked digital platforms. The board has since said that these vulnerabilities have been contained with the help of expert teams from government agencies and technical institutions. Student feedback during the application process has also been incorporated into the platform to make it more user-friendly.
Deadline
Portal open till June 6 for students
The verification and re-evaluation window will remain open till June 6. All applications and fee payments will be accepted only through the online mode. The board has also extended session time limits to make the portal more convenient for applicants.