The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) said its Class 12 re-evaluation portal faced a massive cyberattack shortly after going live on Tuesday. According to the board, the platform received nearly 1.5 million hits within just two minutes in what officials described as an apparent denial-of-service (DoS) attack.
Despite the unprecedented traffic surge, the portal continued to function. CBSE said more than 16,000 students successfully submitted applications for verification and re-evaluation services while the attack was underway. The platform also handled over 8,000 concurrent users during peak activity.
Officials said cybersecurity teams quickly detected the suspicious activity and activated protective measures. The board added that student services remained available throughout the incident.
The latest CBSE cyberattack attempt highlights the growing cybersecurity challenges faced by public digital platforms that handle large volumes of sensitive student data.
Portal Remains Operational Despite Attack
CBSE officials said the attack appeared designed to overwhelm the portal with excessive traffic. Such attacks typically aim to disrupt access for legitimate users by flooding servers with requests.
However, the board reported that the portal remained stable throughout the day. Students continued to access services without major disruption, and applications were processed normally.
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The incident comes just days after reports of a separate malicious attack involving the CBSE revaluation payment system. Government sources had earlier said attackers manipulated fee displays for a limited number of students before authorities addressed the issue.
Growing Focus On Education Cybersecurity
Educational institutions have increasingly become targets for cyberattacks as more services move online. Experts say examination systems, result portals and student databases often attract attackers because of the large number of users accessing them simultaneously.
CBSE recently strengthened its digital infrastructure and cybersecurity measures to support post-result services. The board has also expanded payment and server capabilities to handle heavy traffic during peak periods.
Officials said they will continue monitoring the system and investigating the source of the attack. They also urged students to use only official CBSE portals for all re-evaluation and verification services.
The latest CBSE cyberattack incident ended without major disruption, but it has renewed attention on the need for stronger cybersecurity safeguards across India’s education sector.
