Centaur website reveals guests' personal info
The Centaur Hotels' website, centaurhotels.com, appears to have compromised personal information of its hotel guests, in what seems to be a case of poor internet security protocols implemented by the site. This allowed website visitors on Saturday to obtain and view details of passports, driving licences, pan numbers, credit cards, and other forms of personal identification provided by its guests.
Centaur Hotels, a unit of the Hotel Corporation of India (HCI), is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the National Aviation Company of India that runs national carrier Air India. It runs a hotel near the Delhi international airport and another in Srinagar.
Sunil Abraham, executive director of Centre for Internet and Society, said personal information leaked online is a breach of privacy. "Anybody collecting passport and credit card details has to follow security policies. According to Sec 43 of the IT Act 2000, the hotel shall be liable to pay damages not exceeding Rs 1 crore to every individual so affected."