STF suspects IT firm’s server was hacked

UP Special Task Force (STF) suspects that the server of the IT firm hired for conducting online examinations of sub-inspector (S-I) recruitment was hacked with help of some of its ex-employees or outsourced staff in question paper leak case.

The STF cyber crime sleuths have made a list of nearly 50 such people and scanning their credentials to trace the mastermind behind the question paper leak. The UP Police Recruitment and Promotion Board, on July 24, had postponed the recruitment test for S-I posts scheduled on July 25 and 26 in 22 districts across the state. The examination was cancelled after the copies of question paper became viral on social media. Around 1.20 lakh candidates were to appear in the online test.

The UP STF’s cyber cell is probing the matter since then.

An STF officer said the cyber cell sleuths are gradually trying to zero in on the mastermind. He said the sleuths are first working towards tracing the source of leakage and so far probe hinted that the IT firm’s server was compromised. He said the probe revealed that two proxy visitors intruded into the firm’s server and one of them hacked it to leak the question papers.

He said the STF team consulted the IT experts who suggested that such intrusion is not possible without the involvement of a person, who was aware about the firm policies and working. He said the team had prepared a list of suspects and one by one crosschecking their credibility. Earlier, the IT firm authorities had lodged the FIR related to question paper leak under sections 2/5 of Examination Act and 66 Information Technology Act at cyber police station of the STF on Tuesday.