India’s most trusted examination board, CBSE, was rocked by a sweeping cybersecurity scandal in May 2026 when a 19-year-old ethical hacker demonstrated live, unrestricted access to its On-Screen Marking (OSM) evaluation system — including shell access to production servers and free downloads of student answer sheets from an unsecured cloud bucket [1][2]. The breach put the personal and academic data of an estimated 20 lakh (2 million) Class 12 students at risk [5]. This article unpacks every layer of the hack, explains what it means for students and families, and maps out what the government must do to prevent a repeat.
India is the world’s second-largest smartphone market — and one of its most targeted by cybercriminals. In 2025 alone, Indians filed 28.15 lakh cybercrime complaints and lost a staggering ₹22,495 crore to digital fraud [2]. If you use a smartphone for banking, UPI payments, or even just WhatsApp, you are a target. Here is your complete, no-nonsense guide to locking down your phone before the next scam call reaches you.