Digital Nepal’s ‘Dark Side’<\/b><\/p>\n
Nepal is currently moving towards digital transformation at a rapid pace.TAG_OPEN_span_149 Everything from government services to the purchase and sale of goods of daily use is connected to the online system. But with the development of this technology, TAG_CLOSE_span_149 a serious question has also surfaced \u2013 is our personal data protected<\/span>{TAG_OPEN_span_147 TAG_CLOSE_span_148 TAG_OPEN_span_148{TAG_OPEN_span_146}}? <\/span>Ironically, <\/span>, <\/span> Nepal’s government and private digital systems are frequently the target of cyber attacks. Even when vulnerabilities are discovered, instead of learning from them and strengthening security arrangements, the same mistakes are repeated. This has put Nepal’s digital security at a critical juncture. <\/span><\/p>\n Padmakanya Campus’s negligence and attack on student privacy<\/b><\/p>\n TAG_OPEN_span_142 The Bachelor’s level examination under Tribhuvan University has just begun. In this context, Padmakanya Campus in Bagbazar made a mistake while distributing admit cards to students<\/span>, <\/span>}, which exposed the gross negligence of data security. The campus administration made public the admit cards with personal and academic details of 1,364 students on social media. The walls of Facebook were littered with student symbol numbers and registration numbers like advertisements. This act of making students comfortable has seriously invaded their privacy<\/span>, <\/span>}, which can have long-term implications for their careers and safety. <\/span><\/p>\n Irresponsibility hidden under the cover of ‘sacred purpose’<\/b><\/p>\n When this move of Padmakanya Campus was criticized<\/span>, <\/span> the reaction from the campus head and administration was even more surprising. Campus Chief Jaya Laxmi Pradhan claimed that the decision was made with the “pious intention” to ensure that the students do not suffer. Even some of the employees took the issue lightly, saying that it was just a name and a photo. This thinking confirms that <\/span>, <\/span>} do not even have the minimum knowledge and awareness about data sensitivity at the leadership level of our academic institutions. Details such as the name<\/span>, <\/span>} photos and registration numbers have been completely ignored. <\/span><\/p>\n Contagious trend of institutional negligence<\/b><\/p>\n The Padmakanya Campus administration also revealed another horrific fact while defending itself. According to them, it is not only them who have made the data of students public on social networks, <\/span>, <\/span> and other educational institutions are also doing the same. This claim shows that <\/span>, <\/span>} have become a common weakness in Nepal’s educational institutions. Using one institution’s mistake as a precedent for another shows how poor our regulatory and policy implementation is. <\/span><\/p>\n Cloned of Citizen App and Shock to the Digital Credit of the State <\/b><\/p>\n }<\/p>\n A few weeks ago, it was proved that even the ‘Nagarik App’, which is considered to be the backbone of Digital Nepal, is not safe.TAG_OPEN_span_125 A software developer named Nirdesh Subedi cloned the web portal of the citizen app and hosted it in his personal domain. Citizen apps such as sensitive platforms <\/span>, <\/span>} which contain citizenship<\/span>, <\/span>passport<\/span>}, <\/span>}PAN card and educational certificates{<\/span>, <\/span> It is also challenging from the point of view of national security to duplicate it. The fact that the clone appears above the government site when users search for the ‘Nagarik app’ on the search engine has raised a big question mark on the government’s technical oversight. <\/span><\/p>\n Increasing Risk of Clone Sites and Cyber Fraud<\/b><\/p>\n The exact imitation of the Citizen app is not only a technical use, but <\/span>, <\/span> This phishing (<\/span>{ is a link to the <\/span>} attack. Such sites are designed to trick users into stealing their login details and passwords. If a user had entered his details by mistake, <\/span>, <\/span>} would be sure that all his government documents would end up in the hands of an unauthorized person. Despite warnings from browsers like Google Chrome, there is always a risk of major cybercrime if the general public does not pay attention to such things. <\/span><\/p>\n Government Websites: An easy target for hackers<\/b><\/p>\n }<\/p>\n Cyber attacks on Nepal’s government digital systems have become commonplace.TAG_OPEN_span_109 In the absence of lessons from past vulnerabilities, government websites are becoming easy targets for hackers due to vulnerabilities in security mechanisms. Protocols designed to protect government data are outdated and the absence of regular security audits have made sensitive government information strewn across the streets. <\/span><\/p>\n Serial attacks on Koshi Province and Helo Sarkar <\/b><\/p>\n The early months of TAG_OPEN_span_108 2025 proved to be very bad for Nepal’s cybersecurity. On February 13, a group named ‘YNR’ made unauthorized access to 21 subdomains of the Koshi Provincial Government. Less than a month later, on March 26, the Prime Minister’s Office’s ‘Hello Sarkar’ portal was also affected. The group, called ‘Ghudra’, made public the government data in retaliation, saying the government had refused to contact them. These incidents show how weak the vital machinery of our state is functioning. <\/span><\/p>\n Details of 20 million citizens: Auction for $7,000<\/b><\/p>\n }<\/p>\n TAG_OPEN_span_107 The most horrific incident in Nepal’s cybersecurity history occurred on April 23, 2025 <\/span>, <\/span>} when the website of the Nepal Police Central Office became insecure. A hacker group called ‘Kazoo’ stole the citizenship details of about 20 lakh citizens from the police system. The details were put up for sale online for $7,000. The inability of the state security agencies to protect their data has created great fear and distrust among the general public. <\/span><\/p>\n Private sector supermarkets and data collection spree <\/b><\/p>\n This problem of TAG_OPEN_span_104 data insecurity is not limited to government agencies. Big supermarkets like Bhatbhateni<\/span>, <\/span> Bigmart and various cafes are collecting personal details of customers unauthorizedly. The tendency to ask for a customer’s name and phone number at the time of billing or on the pretext of making a membership card has become common now. However, there is no transparency about how the data TAG_OPEN_span_100 TAG_CLOSE_span_101 TAG_OPEN_span_101 TAG_CLOSE_span_102 collected is used and where it is stored. <\/span><\/p>\n Free WiFi & Privacy Bargain<\/b><\/p>\n Most cafes and restaurants mandatorily ask for mobile numbers and other details in the name of giving customers access to Wi-Fi.TAG_OPEN_span_99 Such details taken using ‘captive portals’ are also at risk of being sold to advertising agencies. Citizens are handing over their valuable personal details for the sake of little discount or free internet. Such an act seriously threatens consumers’ right to privacy <\/span>, <\/span>, but there is no body to speak about it. <\/span><\/p>\n ‘SG Update’ and inbox overlap <\/b><\/p>\n TAG_OPEN_span_96 The ‘SG update’ case is a recent example of how data collected unauthorizedly is misused. In the middle of the night last April, thousands of mobile users received a message in their inboxes asking them to subscribe to a YouTube channel. The user had never given his number to the channel. The operator later clarified the technical error<\/span>, <\/span>}, but how thousands of personal numbers were synced from an employee’s phone illustrates the very poor state of our data security. <\/span><\/p>\n Flood of election campaigns and SMS{<\/b><\/p>\n In Nepal, the tendency of candidates and political parties to send bulk SMS without the consent of the voters during elections is very high.TAG_OPEN_span_93 How does a citizen’s personal phone number reach a political party<\/span>}? <\/span>According to cybersecurity expert Naresh Lamgade, TAG_OPEN_span_89 TAG_CLOSE_span_90 TAG_OPEN_span_90 TAG_CLOSE_span_91 data from various business and service providers is leaked to political parties or advertisers, according to cybersecurity expert Naresh Lamgade.TAG_OPEN_span_91 After the data bridge, people’s personal data has become like a commodity sold in the market. <\/span><\/p>\n From Celebrity to Ordinary Citizen: Obligation to Change SIM <\/b><\/p>\n There is no limit to what problems citizens will face after a data leak. After a celebrity’s personal details were leaked from a delivery company, he received so many unwanted calls and messages that he eventually had to change his SIM card. Ride-sharing and delivery companies have sensitive details such as a customer’s home address{<\/span>, <\/span> phone number and location. If such companies are not responsible, the physical security of the citizens may be at risk. <\/span><\/p>\n Lack of privacy culture in Nepali society<\/b><\/p>\n According to information technology expert Dovan Rai, one of the main reasons for the lack of data security in Nepal is the lack of understanding of the importance of ‘privacy’ or personal space in Nepali society.TAG_OPEN_span_85 We still consider it normal to share personal information. There is a huge lack of awareness about how data stored in digital media can be misused and how it can affect lives. Unless citizens are aware of their own data{<\/span>, <\/span>}, there will be no pressure on institutions. <\/span><\/p>\n Institutional Accountability and Legal Vacancy <\/b><\/p>\n In developed countries, governments impose billions in fines on companies that fail to protect their data.TAG_OPEN_span_82 But Nepal does not have a strong ‘Data Protection Act’ <\/span>, <\/span> nor an effective mechanism to punish the guilty. There is an acute lack of professional culture and accountability at the corporate level. Such incidents are also happening because the organizations that leak data are easily exempt. Unless the state has strict legal policies and regulations, it is unlikely that citizens’ data will be safe. <\/span><\/p>\n Horror picture<\/b><\/p>\n According to the statistics of the Cyber Bureau, the graph of cybercrime in Nepal is increasing alarmingly.TAG_OPEN_span_79 The fact that more than 20,000 complaints were received in the last financial year alone testifies to the crisis of digital security. A large part of this is from electronic fraud and cyber fraud. With data security weak, criminals are finding an easy way to defraud citizens and cause them unnecessary trouble. These figures are not just numbers, <\/span>, <\/span> are living proof of Nepal’s digital vulnerability. <\/span><\/p>\n Samagrama<\/b>,<\/b><\/p>\n }<\/p>\n While dreaming of a digital Nepal, we should not forget that technology without security is just a trap for {{TAG_OPEN_span_76 TAG_CLOSE_span_76}}, <\/span>. From Padma Kanya College to the Nagrik App, incidents have given us the same message that if we are not vigilant now, our personal freedom and privacy will be confined to the pages of history. The state needs to build a strong legal base and citizens need to understand the value of their data. As long as individuals are sensitive and institutions are not responsible<\/span>, <\/span>}, our digital journey will always be risky. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Digital Nepal’s ‘Dark Side’ Nepal is currently moving towards digital transformation at a rapid pace.TAG_OPEN_span_149 Everything from government services to the purchase and sale of goods of daily use is connected to the online system. But with the development of this technology, TAG_CLOSE_span_149 a serious question has also surfaced \u2013 is our personal data protected{TAG_OPEN_span_147Continue reading “The Dark Side of the Digital Age”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":98589,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1391],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-98596","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized-en"],"acf":[],"publishedDateNp":"\u0969\u0967 \u0936\u094d\u0930\u093e\u0935\u0923 \u0968\u0966\u096e\u0969, \u0906\u0908\u0924\u0935\u093e\u0930 \u0967\u0966:\u0966\u096b","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/english.kalopati.com\/kp_api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98596","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/english.kalopati.com\/kp_api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/english.kalopati.com\/kp_api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english.kalopati.com\/kp_api\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english.kalopati.com\/kp_api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=98596"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/english.kalopati.com\/kp_api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98596\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":98597,"href":"https:\/\/english.kalopati.com\/kp_api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98596\/revisions\/98597"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english.kalopati.com\/kp_api\/wp\/v2\/media\/98589"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/english.kalopati.com\/kp_api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=98596"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english.kalopati.com\/kp_api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=98596"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english.kalopati.com\/kp_api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=98596"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}