10 year imprisonment for hacking into GST database

A person will be imprisoned for a period of 10 year if he or she hacks India’s goods and services tax (GST) database and its associated infrastructure dependencies installed at GST Network (GSTN), as under the IT Act, the finance ministry has declared the assets as ‘protected system’.

“The Ministry of Finance hereby declares the Goods and Services Tax Database and its associated infrastructure dependencies installed at Goods and Services Tax Network (GSTN), as the protected system for the purpose of said Act,” a notification noted.

“Incapacitation of GSTN database would be considered as blow to national security, economy, public health or safety and the person responsible for it would be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 10 years together with a fine,” said Rajat Mohan, senior partner at AMRG Associates.