CBSE Transfers All OSM Data to Its Own Servers Amid Re-Evaluation Process
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has made a significant operational shift in its ongoing Class 12 re-evaluation process. In a move aimed at strengthening security and tightening control, the board has relocated all data and records linked to its On-Screen Marking (OSM) system from the servers of private vendor COEMPT Eduteck Pvt Ltd to its own dedicated servers.
According to an IIT official associated with the matter, the COEMPT OSM platform will continue to be used for the re-evaluation process, and the company will remain responsible for scanning answer sheets during this period.
Data Migration and Code Refinements
The IIT official involved in the security audit explained that previously, scanned answer sheets and associated data were hosted on the vendor’s servers. However, keeping security considerations in mind, the complete dataset has now been moved to CBSE-controlled infrastructure.
Alongside this migration, technical teams have reviewed and refined the OSM code to ensure it operates smoothly on CBSE’s own infrastructure. The official noted that when it comes to security, having the system under CBSE’s direct control is inherently superior to relying entirely on a vendor’s servers.
Addressing Concerns About the Vendor’s Track Record
When questioned about whether COEMPT could handle the scanning work effectively despite past controversies and its track record, the official responded with concrete figures:
- The vendor successfully scanned approximately 400 million pages during the first phase.
- Only about 30,000 pages had issues such as blurring or technical glitches.
- This translates to just 1 problematic page out of every 10,000 pages scanned.
Since only the affected or problematic pages need to be scanned during the re-evaluation phase, the company is expected to complete the task without any significant difficulties. Officials from COEMPT remained engaged with the technical teams throughout this transition period, assisting with data migration and implementation of security protocols.
Over 70,000 Applications Received
This process carries immense significance for students’ academic and professional futures, as thousands of careers depend on these final scores. According to official records, the board has received a total of 70,433 applications through its post-result grievance redressal mechanism as of June 4.
The breakdown of applications is as follows:
- Verification of marks: 7,314 applications
- Re-evaluation requests: 63,119 applications
IIT Teams Take Charge and Thwart Cyber Attacks
This comprehensive overhaul follows a period of controversy and security concerns that emerged when an ethical hacker named ‘Nisarg’ exposed vulnerabilities in the OSM portal. In response, CBSE promptly engaged teams from IIT Kanpur and IIT Madras to reinforce the system’s defenses.
The cybersecurity team from IIT Kanpur worked on both the CBSE registration portal and the OSM re-evaluation portal for over ten days. They employed a combination of ‘Red Team’ (which identifies weaknesses) and ‘Blue Team’ (which strengthens the code) methodologies to enhance security measures.
The Digital India Corporation (DIC) led the code-hardening efforts, while IIT Kanpur conducted penetration and vulnerability testing to identify potential entry points for malicious actors.
This security review proved particularly critical because on June 3, the re-evaluation platform faced a massive Denial-of-Service (DoS) cyber attack involving approximately 3.8 million packets. However, thanks to the vigilance of the technical teams, the attack was completely neutralized, and services remained uninterrupted throughout the incident.
The IIT official has assured that there is no evidence of any data leakage or breach in the system built so far, confirming that student data remains fully secure. This layered approach to security—combining infrastructure control, code refinement, and continuous monitoring—reflects CBSE’s commitment to safeguarding the integrity of the examination and re-evaluation process.
