Mobikwik user? Important data breach news alert for you from RBI

In a major development in data breach allegations, RBI has ordered forensic audit of Mobikwik systems. The Reserve Bank has asked digital wallet firm Mobikwik, which is facing data breach allegations, to get a forensic audit done without any delay.

Though the Gurugram-based firm has been claiming that its systems are secure and that there is no basis to the allegations of data breach, a group of hackers on Tuesday said that they accessed personal and financial data of nearly 10 crore Mobikwik customers, as per a report in PTI.

The RBI has asked Mobikwik to get the forensic audit done without any delay to ascertain whether there was a data breach or not, PTI said quoting sources.

The regulatory order comes after Mobikwik contacted CERT-IN on the issue. CERT-IN had shared a data leak sample with the company, which concluded that the sample didn't belong to them.

However, Mobikwik had admitted to CERT-IN that on March 1, there was an unauthorised attempt to access its user-facing application programming interface associated with a payment link generated through its platform. But the attempt was scuttled, Mobikwik claimed, leaving CERT-IN unconvinced, and later recommended to RBI for a forensic audit, as per the PTI report.

On Tuesday, PTI received an email from the hacker group named Jordandaven which had the link of the database of around 9.9 crore Mobikwik users' personal information such as mobile numbers, bank account details, emails, and credit card numbers.

Jordandaven has also shared that the data of Mobikwik founder Bipin Preet Singh and chief executive Upasana Taku from the database.

Mobikwik, on Tuesday, denied the allegations saying they take data security very seriously and are fully compliant with all applicable data security laws. "We are subjected to stringent compliance measures under its PCI-DSS and ISO certifications which include annual security audits and quarterly penetration tests to ensure security of its platform. As soon this matter was reported, we undertook a thorough investigation with the help of external security experts and did not find any evidence of a data breach," Mobikwik had said on Tuesday.