PremiumListen to this article |
The Unique Identification Authority of India, or UIDAI, has revealed seven key procedures for Aadhaar cardholders to follow in order to prevent their credentials from being exploited. Your name, address, gender, date of birth, ten fingerprints, two Iris scans, facial photograph, mobile number (optional), and email ID (optional) are all part of your Aadhaar credentials, and while the data of all Aadhaar holders is safe and secure in the UIDAI's Central Identities Data Repository (CIDR), your Aadhaar can be misused if you do not take proper care of it. So, here are seven typical security procedures that Aadhaar cardholders should undertake to protect their Aadhaar card details.
According to the UIDAI, all 12 numbers are not Aadhaar numbers, and one should verify his or her Aadhaar before accepting it to ensure that he or she holds genuine Aadhaar credentials. UIDAI says that “All 12-digit numbers are not #Aadhaar. It is recommended that the Aadhaar should be verified before accepting it as identity proof. Click: https://myaadhaar.uidai.gov.in/verifyAadhaar and verify it online in 2 simple steps."
If you want to keep your Aadhaar credentials safe and private, and if you don't want your Aadhaar authentication process disrupted, keep your mouth shut and don't share the OTP generated on your Aadhaar-linked mobile number with anyone. UIDAI says “Aadhaar OTP is a convenient and powerful tool to use Aadhaar #authentication from anywhere. Use it yourself. Never share it with anyone else for use on your behalf."
Sometime, tech savvy individuals utilise a public computer to download Aadhaar and then forget to delete it. It is a terrible measure since your Aadhaar credentials can be exploited on a public computer, and you would be solely liable. It is advisable to generate your Aadhaar only through the official UIDAI website and to do it on your personal computer or mobile device. UIDAI says “Download your #Aadhaar only from the official UIDAI portal: https://eaadhaar.uidai.gov.in/genricDownloadAadhaar If you have used a public computer to download, don't forget to delete the downloaded file."
Because Aadhaar is an important and widely used document, it is prudent to keep track of its authentication history on a frequent basis. By doing so, one can ensure that his or her Aadhaar has not been misused. UIDAI says “You can check the #Aadhaar Authentication #History of up to 50 authentications in the past 6 months. The exact date and time of Authentication are mentioned in the results, which can help you notice if there’s an unintended authentication entry."
In order to prevent any possible misuse by anyone, UIDAI also allows Aadhaar cardholders to lock their biometrics, by which one can save his or her Aadhaar details from being misused either online or offline. One can lock Aadhaar biometrics through UIDAI portal or mAadhaar app. UIDAI says “Lock your #Aadhaar biometrics to prevent any possible misuse by anyone. To lock/unlock your #Aadhaar, use #mAadhaar App or click on the link: https://resident.uidai.gov.in/aadhaar-lockunlock. Please note that your #VID is mandatory for this service."
UIDAI says “Mask Aadhaar option allows you to mask your Aadhaar number in your downloaded e-Aadhaar. Masked Aadhaar number implies replacing of first 8 digits of Aadhaar number with some characters like “xxxx-xxxx" while only last 4 digits of the Aadhaar Number are visible."
Because this version of Aadhaar enables you to hide your Aadhaar number in your downloaded e-Aadhaar by just providing the last four digits, you should always utilise masked Aadhaar to keep your Aadhaar details private. UIDAI says “If you don’t want to disclose your #Aadhaar number, then you can use VID or Masked Aadhaar, it is valid and accepted widely."
In order to generate OTP in Aadhaar-linked mobile number only, keep your mobile number updated in Aadhaar. By generating an OTP, one can not only update his or her Aadhaar details, but also use a variety of UIDAI Aadhaar-related services. This security measure will safeguard your Aadhaar from being exploited by anyone, anywhere. UIDAY says “Always keep your mobile number updated in #Aadhaar. If you have any doubt about whether your correct mobile number or email has been linked with Aadhaar, you can verify the same using this link: https://myaadhaar.uidai.gov.in/verify-email-mobile"