Hackers Steal Data From Labour Dept's Sites Twice in 2024

PERSONAL information of lakhs of employers and their staff from across Tamil Nadu has been stolen from the state government's labour department portal twice in the last year.

- NIRUPAMA VISWANATHAN @ Chennai

The stolen details belong to employers and their employees in shops and businesses, industries and private firms, and also comprises sensitive data including bank account details of guest workers in the state.

The data was stolen twice in May and November 2024 by two separate hacker groups who, according to an FIR registered on November 14, 2024, claimed to have hacked the entire database from the labour department portal and the inter-state migrant workers' portal for sale on the dark web.

The database contained the Aadhaar and PAN details of employers, their phone numbers and addresses. The hackers also accessed documents related to the addresses and other personal details of several thousands of their employees.

The stolen data belongs to employers and their employees as registered under various labour laws, including the Tamil Nadu Shops and Establishments Act, Tamil Nadu Industrial Establishments (National Festival and Special Holidays) Act, Motor Transport Workers Act, Inter-State Migrant Workmen Act and Beedi and Cigar Workers (Conditions of Employment) Act, among others.

Apart from the labour department portal, data from the department's Inter-State Migrant Workers MIS—which was launched in 2023—has also been stolen. This system is used for registration of inter-state migrant workers employed in commercial establishments, agriculture, schools, colleges, local bodies and motor establishments, and has details of their Aadhaar and even their bank accounts.