Whataboutery as ‘data breach’ crisis dents KU’s image
IT services down for 15 days for unknown reasons, officials pass the buck, struggle to contain fallout
Muhammad Adnan
Srinagar: The Kashmir University (KU) students are roaming from pillar to post to have their grievances related to poor IT services addressed, even as officials are passing the buck over the recent alleged data breach that has publicly dented the credibility of the University’s IT system, students said.
Students of UG 4th semester who spoke to ‘Kashmir Vision’ said they have been made to suffer for last 15 days by officials of IT department of KU over submission of their online examination forms.
“We are not able to submit examination forms. We went to the Examination Section where we were told to go to the IT section. At the IT section, nobody cared to listen to us,” the aggrieved students said, adding that one IT official told them that the IT server system has been totally tripped down by the Directorate soon after the alleged data breach was reported to the University through media.
“Our link for examination forms was open for a few days, but it was closed one day before the data breach was reported. Since then we have been roaming and suffering,” the students said.
Teachers at the KU also complained that they were not able to upload their awards online which will cause delay in declaration of the result. “This is a failed IT system. We have been repeatedly calling IT officials but nobody is responding to us,” said a teacher, who sought VC’s intervention in the matter.
Even teachers from many colleges where PG classes are taught complained that they were not able to upload e-awards.
“The IT officials at KU are telling us that e-awards are available in KU campus, only on intranet. This is bizarre. How can we go from here to KU to submit e awards,” said a teacher.
Many B.Ed students also complained that they were not able to download their admit cards.
While none of the officials at KU has listened to the students’ agonies, KU’s IT Director Maroof Qadri was Monday quoted by few online outlets saying about alleged data breach that the “examination wing has been asked to review the application/s they manage, update and operate.”
Qadri however did not make a mention of students’ complaints with poor IT services.
However, the Controller of Examinations Dr Majid Zaman has said that his office hasn’t been told to review any of the applications.
“We don’t know about any review. We will give time to students to submit their examination forms after the link is made operational. We will be notifying it,” he said.
Late in the evening, Registrar KU Dr Nisar Mir in a press statement issued through his PR office said that some students have reported that a few online services were affected in the University of Kashmir.
“A few services were pulled down temporarily, in view of some up-gradation being carried out in the system. These services are being restored in a phased manner,” he said in a statement.
Dr Mir said the process to make these services live again will be completed by Thursday, September 1, 2022 (2pm).
“Students are hereby informed that they shall be given ample time to submit their forms for which necessary notification will be issued on Tuesday (30 August 2022),” the Registrar said.
Amid officials passing the buck at the expense of students’ suffering and struggling to contain fallout, the University’s image has taken a huge hit in public and government circles ever since the data breach issue made headlines in local and national media.
Sources said that the matter of data breach has even reached Raj Bhawan which has sought a report in the matter from the Vice-Chancellor.
“IT officials of KU are trying to play a blame game by making some scapegoats elsewhere to save their own skin. If all applications are hosted by IT, how is the Director IT blaming some other department for issues related to data breach which is his domain?” asked a KU teacher.
He alleged the IT Director is making false claims in media in their defense which hold no weight in the eyes of cyber experts.
“It is a laughing stuff. The data index which made it to the Dark Web has logs related to Assistant Registrar Examination, Junior Assistant Examination, CCPC, Registration section and several other departments. It is not restricted to academic data related to students alone,” said a cyber expert who went through the log.
“Moreover, IT officials cannot give any statement in the matter as they are the main accused in the whole dubious episode. Any version coming from IT will be only his version and not the version of the University in the matter.”
Insiders say the Kashmir University authorities must come clear in the matter so that there is no whataboutery over the serious issue.
“KU authorities must not save the skin of a few individuals on such a serious matter. Public will not listen to any nonsense. Cyber experts will not buy lies. If the data breach has not taken place, then why is IT department blaming some other department for issues related to the database? It clearly shows that breach has taken place for which they are trying to blame others,” they said, impressing upon the Vice Chancellor to take strict action in the matter and ease the suffering of students.
“The entire IT system is in the hands of the IT Directorate and not the Examination Section as is being falsely claimed by IT. The Vice Chancellor must expedite inquiry in the matter so that the responsibility is fixed,” the insiders said.
Meanwhile, a member of the committee which is investigating the data breach in KU said that fair inquiry will be conducted in the matter.
“We assure you that no false information will be entertained by the committee,” he said.
He said it is a specialised area (data studies). “It will be dealt with accordingly,” he added.
