Kochi Metro document leak: Officials also under scanner

KOCHI: Officials are also under the scanner in the leak of confidential documents from a computer at the headquarters of Kochi Metro Rail Ltd (KMRL). KMRL Managing Director and Ernakulam District Collector G Priyanka said the matter is part of the investigation and further action will be taken after receiving the police report.

Kochi City Deputy Commissioner Mohit Rawat said the investigation is focusing on the WhatsApp group named ‘Unified Kochi Metro Rail Reform and Development Forum’, where the leaked documents were circulated. The action follows a Kerala Kaumudi report titled ‘Kochi Metro office hit by data breach’.

The documents are suspected to have been leaked from the office at the Kaloor Stadium station building between September 2 and 12. After the documents were found circulating in WhatsApp groups, KMRL approached the metro police.

According to KMRL’s complaint, its IT department computer and printer at the Kaloor corporate office were hacked and information was allegedly transferred to another email account. The complaint stated that the leak had seriously affected the security of the company and the privacy of its employees.

Protests followed by leak

Messages about rifts among officials and protests over the promotion of some employees without considering their qualifications had been circulating in WhatsApp groups. The hacking was discovered during an inspection conducted following these developments. A preliminary assessment indicates that information related to the metro’s central control room, train signalling technology and security surveillance network remains secure.