Chinese Hackers Targeted Aadhaar Database, Times Group: Report

The government agency said it had no knowledge of such a breach and that its database was encrypted and only available to users with multifactor authentication.

Chinese state-sponsored hackers are believed to have infiltrated and stolen data from an Indian government agency responsible for a national identification database and one of that country's largest media conglomerates, according to a new report by cybersecurity firm Recorded Future Inc. Both the government agency and the media company dispute the claims.

The Unique Identification Authority of India, also known as the UIDAI, contains the private biometric information of more than 1 billion Indian citizens. The authority's networks were believed to have been breached during intrusions tracked between June and July this year, though it's not clear what data was taken, according to Recorded Future.

The government agency said it had no knowledge of such a breach and that its database was encrypted and only available to users with multifactor authentication. The agency had a "robust security system in place" that was constantly upgraded to maintain the "highest level of data security and integrity," an email from the agency said.

Bennett Coleman & Co., also known as the Times Group, which publishes the Times of India, also appeared to be targeted by the Chinese hackers, according to Recorded Future. Data was exfiltrated from the company between February and August, but it wasn't clear data was stolen, Recorded Future said.