1 lakh file access attempts: CBSE says barrage of cyberattacks on re-evaluation portal

More than 16,000 students had submitted applications through the CBSE re-evaluation portal by 3 pm on Tuesday, even as the platform faced multiple cyberattack attempts, according to CBSE's latest post on X.

According to a statement issued by CBSE, the latest incident involved an attempted denial-of-service (DoS) attack that generated nearly 1.5 million hits on the portal within two minutes.

The system also detected more than one lakh attempts to gain unauthorised access to files.

Despite the attacks, the portal remained functional and continued to process student applications along with that the portal is currently capable of handling more than 8,000 concurrent users, the X post states.

Thousands of students accessed the platform throughout the day to apply for re-evaluation and other post-result services.

Education ministry sources later told ANI that the Centre is closely monitoring cyber attacks targeting the CBSE re-evaluation portal through agencies including the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C).

It added that strict action will be taken against those found responsible.

WHAT DHARMENDRA PRADHAN SAID ABOUT RE-EVALUATION NUMBERS

The figure assumes importance because Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had earlier indicated that not more than 20 per cent of eligible students were expected to apply for re-evaluation.

Based on those estimates, the number of applicants was expected to remain around 80,000.

However, with 16,000 applications already submitted within the first 9-10 hours of the portal opening and more than three days still remaining in the application window, the final number could be substantially higher.

The operators added that several changes have been introduced based on feedback from students. These include extending session time limits to make the application process smoother and reduce the risk of sessions expiring before submissions are completed.

Officials said technical teams are monitoring the platform round the clock and responding to any issues as they arise.

"Our teams remain vigilant and responsive to ensure students are able to access services without disruption," CBSE posted on X.

The development comes amid continuing scrutiny of CBSE's On-Screen Marking (OSM) system after students and evaluators reported technical glitches and delays in post-result services, including the re-evaluation process.