CBSE says cybersecurity teams strengthening OnMark portal amid concerns over evaluation system

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) announced on Sunday that cybersecurity teams, including experts from IITs and government agencies, are reinforcing the security of its OnMark portal. The move follows reports of vulnerabilities and technical issues in the portal, which handles Class 12 On-Screen Marking (OSM) evaluations. The CBSE acknowledged that students have raised concerns over unexpected score variations and sought access to their evaluated answer sheets. The board stated that vulnerabilities in the OnMark portal have been monitored and contained, with systems transitioned to a more secure setup. Ethical hackers and alert citizens played a role in identifying weaknesses, and the CBSE urged others to report concerns via email. Despite criticism, the CBSE denied any data breach, clarifying that a previously flagged web link belonged to a testing environment with sample data, not the live evaluation system. Technical glitches during the OSM process led to over 68,000 answer sheets being rescanned, while around 13,500 required manual verification due to image-quality issues. The CBSE admitted the digital evaluation system was introduced without a nationwide pilot, contributing to the current challenges. The board remains focused on improving system reliability and addressing concerns while maintaining examination integrity. Efforts are underway to enhance cybersecurity protections and ensure the OSM system functions smoothly. The CBSE has emphasized that no breach of the live evaluation infrastructure occurred, though ongoing measures aim to prevent future vulnerabilities. Students, parents, and educators continue to scrutinize the new digital evaluation mechanism amid reports of technical failures and evaluation inconsistencies.