India’s push towards the digital economy saw the launch of various apps for different purposes. Digilocker is one such app, where Indian citizens can store their documents.
These documents can then be used to verify the user’s identity. For example, you can show your ID proof, address proof or other documents directly from your mobile phone when any government authority, including the police, asks.
As per the Digilocker platform, over 250 million users are now on the platform and the platform saw the issuance of over 6 billion documents.
The government released The Information Technology (Preservation and Retention of Information by Intermediaries Providing Digital Locker Facilities) Rules, 2016 to treat the documents available via Digilocker at par with the physical documents.
Even though the government released the app, several people have misunderstood the Digilocker. So, in this article, we are here to delve into the security aspects of the platform.
Safety aspect of Digilocker
In this section, we’ll take a deep dive into various security features of Digilocker. As per the platform, these are the security features that you get on Digilocker:
- 256-bit SSL encryption: Digilocker encrypts the transmitted data via the 256-bit SSL encryption.
- Mobile authentication: Digilocker uses mobile authentication-based signup via OTP to authenticate users.
- ISO 27001 certified data centre: All the data is hosted on these data centres.
- Timed log out: The portal automatically logs out when there is no activity for a certain time.
These features make the Digilocker app worth trying. However, we will head to domain intelligence platforms and customer review websites for further analysis.
Virustotal
As you can see from the screenshot above, Digilocker has no malware or other suspicious tools hidden behind the website. None of the 93 vendors that checked the website found any malicious activities.
So, it is safe to say that you can go for Digilocker.
Scamadviser
On Scamadviser, Digilocker scored a 100/100 trust score and has a 2.8 out of 5 rating based on four reviews. However, the number of reviews is quite low to get a fair idea. For this, we will head to another platform.
MouthShut
MouthShut is a customer review website headquartered in Mumbai, India. Here, Digilocker scored 2.75 out of 5 based on 6 votes. The number of reviews is also quite low to get an idea.
However, most of these reviews are positive and only one customer said that the documents are not yet accepted in various government offices.
Also read: Is CS2 safe to play?
How to protect yourself on Digilocker?
Although Digilocker is a useful app and is used by millions across India, many issues have come up with the app recently.
In 2022, researchers discovered a bug in the Digilocker app that threatened the data of over 38 million accounts.
Apart from that, many fake apps have popped up on various third-party and unauthorised app stores, resembling the original Digilocker app, where unsuspecting customers upload their documents and can have their identities hacked.
Also, people have shared their Digilocker links on malicious websites and later posted on various forums asking for advice.
These are some ways scammers use Digilocker to scam people. However, by following the tips given below, you can easily protect yourself:
- Avoid public WiFi: When accessing Digilocker outside, try not to use the public WiFi as it can be hacked.
- Update Digilocker app: Keep your Digilocker app updated at all times. An updated app often has more security and other features.
- Avoid phishing attempts: Scammers might ask for your Digilocker link and you should not send it for any purpose.
In conclusion, Digilocker is safe to use, but you must be aware of scam attempts and how to save yourself. Follow the tips we have given above to protect yourself and your document, and you’ll be good to go.
Also read: Is Mistplay a scam?
