Police to examine varsity server as Swiss service provider fails to respond to plaint

BATHINDA:With the cyber investigators probing the hacking of the Bathinda-based Central University of Punjab’s question bank getting no response from Switzerland-based service provider Proton Mail, the Punjab Police have now decided to examine the varsity’s server to get clues in the case.

Deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Aswant Dhaliwal, the investigating officer, on Monday said they approached Proton Mail on July 10 to provide the IP (internet protocol) address from where an email by unidentified hacker was sent to the university informing them about the hacking.

“We were anticipating help from the service provider, but to no avail. Since the server of Proton Mail is based in Switzerland and it does not operate from India, the company is legally not liable to share cyber details required by Indian investigating agencies,” said the DSP.

He said the cyber team will now collect details from ‘dumps’ (digital data) from the university server to analyse who had accessed the question paper bank. The DSP said the digital examination may give a lead to the one compromised the servers. On July 8, the CUP found that its online examination system was accessed by hackers.

A hacker had sent an email from Proton Mail, an end-to-end encrypted and a highly sophisticated cyber platform, to the vicechancellor and some faculty members, where a link was given. Clicking on it gave access to all questions.

V-C Prof RK Kohli said the server has been sealed for police probe. “We have constituted a team of technical experts, including two external members, to see where our online system lacked,” he said.

EXAMS FROM JULY 24

The V-C said examination for second-year students will restart from July 24 as the faculty members reworked on setting question papers.

A section of students raised a voice against the online examination due to poor signal and other issues amid the pandemic outbreak.

Kohli said the process to take test semester test for first-year students is being analysed. Though the online examination is optional, the varsity has resolved not to promote students on the basis of their previous year’s academic performance, he added.

“Our priority is to equip the final-year students with their degrees so that they could decide their next plans without any delay. Of the second-year 484 students, 483 have opted to take the online test,” said the V-C.

ON JULY 8, CENTRAL UNIVERSITY OF PUNJAB FOUND ITS ONLINE EXAMINATION SYSTEM WAS ACCESSED BY HACKERS