Schools rush to update passwords after Kanyashree portal security advisory

Kolkata: Following an advisory from the state Women and Child Development and Social Welfare department, schools across the state are rushing to change their log-in passwords in the Kanyashree portal. Many schools have already reported that they have updated

their passwords.

On November 19, the department issued a communication to the Director of Social Welfare and District Magistrates, alerting them to a potential security breach in the portal, which was flagged by the National Informatics Centre (NIC). In response, the NIC recommended six immediate security measures, which were shared with schools responsible for entering beneficiary data.

Many schools have acted quickly to implement these measures. “We regularly change our passwords and follow other security protocols. The Kanyashree portal also requires an OTP for login, but we are updating the passwords as per the new advisory,” said Supriyo Panja, headmaster of Park Institution.

The recommended security measures include updating passwords for accounts that may have been compromised, ensuring that operating systems, browsers, plugins and other software are up to date, removing any unauthorised or outdated software from systems, enabling firewalls, and installing anti-malware, anti-ransomware and anti-exploit software. Schools are also advised to conduct

regular system scans and to avoid saving login credentials in web browsers.

A senior official from the department emphasised that these security protocols are part of routine maintenance. “These are regular security measures we take every few months. The NIC, which manages our portal, continuously monitors external threats and provides advisories on necessary actions. These advisories are then forwarded to the districts for implementation. It’s part of routine cyber hygiene, with nothing out of the ordinary,” the official explained.

Under the Kanyashree scheme, girls aged 13 to 18 years who are enrolled in Class VIII or higher receive an annual grant of Rs 1,000 for each year they remain in education. Additionally, there is a one-time grant of Rs 25,000, which is provided when a girl turns 18, given that she has remained engaged in academic or vocational pursuits and has not married.