The WikiLeaks has published a leaked document from CIA 'Express Lane' system, which hints that US spy agency has already stolen Aadhaar database through UIDAI certified company Cross Match.
Cross Match is a US company specialising in biometric software for law enforcement and the intelligence community. The company hit the headlines in 2011 when it was reported that the US military used a Cross Match product to identify Osama bin Laden during the assassination operation in Pakistan.
According to Wikileaks site, the CIA's branch OTS (Office of Technical Services) uses ExpressLane - a biometric collection system that is provided to liaison services around the world - with the expectation for sharing of the biometric takes collected on the systems. The core components of the OTS system are based on products from Cross Match.
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"But this 'voluntary sharing' obviously does not work or is considered insufficient by the CIA, because ExpressLane is a covert information collection tool that is used by the CIA to secretly exfiltrate data collections from such systems provided to liaison services.
"ExpressLane is installed and run with the cover of upgrading the biometric software by OTS agents that visit the liaison sites. Liaison officers overseeing this procedure will remain unsuspicious, as the data exfiltration disguises behind a Windows installation splash screen," the website said.
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Cross Match certified by UIDAI
The software which was used to covertly obtain information on Osama Bin Ladeb in Pakistan, Cross Match was certified by UIDAI for Aadhaar program in 2011.
The Indian Government issued Cross Match the Certificate of Approval and made it official suppliers of biometric devices, including Guardian fingerprint capture device and the I SCAN dual iris capture device.
Majority of the UIDAI certified enrollment agencies use Cross Match devices across India. Cross Match was also the first company to receive the Provisional Certificate for use in the UID program in September, 2010. Video featuring the Cross Match Guardian and I SCAN devices has been taken down from the official UIDAI website.
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