Comments on “Are your online tax returns safe?” by Ashwin Mohan of CNBC-TV 18

This has reference to the report “Are your online tax returns safe?” by Ashwin Mohan of CNBC-TV 18. Article published and aired on CNBC 18

Correction…

“Three pieces of basic information ‑ name, date of birth, and pan number ‑ is all that an aspiring hacker requires.”

No, only two information, name and date of birth (date of incorporate in case of company). Go to know your PAN page https://incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in/knowpan/knowpan.jsp
…you will get PAN details.

Possible solution to minimize this problem:

“Uncertainty is the only certainty there is and knowing how to live with insecurity is the only security”

- John Allen Paulos in his book A mathematician Plays the Sock Market

Steps to be taken by PAN-holders:

1. Registered yourself before a hacker register on your behalf.
2. Check your registered email id regularly to ensure that your password has been not reset by unathorised person and report the same at ask@incometaxindia.gov.in

Suggestions to Income-tax department:
1. Do not authorized PAN-holders (hackers) to select new password. Alternatively, email it to their registered email id. In the event, PAN-holders do not recollect or changed their registered email id then courier it to their registered address.
2. Incorporate additional security measures such as secret question, strong password etc.
3. Rather than sending an email confirming registration/change of password send an email with the link for conformation.

Warning to budding hackers:

1. Tracking down your IP address and locating you will be not a tuff job for our IT savvy police.
2. You will be jailed for 3 years and/or liable for a fine upto 2 lakhs under section 66 of the Information Technology Act, 2000.

Suggestions to CNBC 18:
1. Kindly share such information to the relevant authority before airing it. Interest of public is paramount. Please respect it.
2. You should have given possible solutions rather then just highlighting problem. Nobody is prefect.