Cybersecurity

A reported data leak involving the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has raised concerns across India’s film industry after confidential documents linked to more than 500 film titles were allegedly exposed online. According to reports, the documents were reportedly accessed through the CBFC’s e-Cinepramaan portal, which filmmakers use to submit material for film certification. The exposed records allegedly included shooting scripts, censor cut orders, certification documents and distribution agreements. The files were reportedly available through the Internet Archive before being taken down. Importantly, the incident concerns film-related documents, not the complete movie files. The reported exposure has raised concerns about both creative confidentiality and commercial security. Scripts could reveal plot details and scenes before a film’s release, while censor cut orders may disclose changes requested during the certification process. According to reports, some exposed documents also included distribution agreements for films such as The Secret Agent and Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die. At least three agreements reportedly revealed licensing fees, potentially exposing commercially sensitive information that could affect negotiations between producers and distributors. However, the extent of any financial loss or misuse of the documents has not been established. The CBFC has said it is investigating the alleged unauthorised access and conducting a security audit of the e-Cinepramaan portal. According to reports, the board stated that its initial checks had found no trace of the specific certification documents claimed to have been accessed, and that there was no indication that individual filmmakers’ accounts had been compromised. The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) was reportedly informed, while the Internet Archive said the account associated with the uploads had been removed and a complaint had been filed with cybercrime authorities. The investigation is ongoing, and the precise cause and full extent of the alleged exposure remain unclear.