Election Commission Introduces Firewall on Form 7 to Safeguard Candidate Data

The Election Commission of India (EC) announced today that it has deployed a firewall on its online Form 7 portal, the platform used by candidates to file their nomination papers. The move is part of the EC’s broader cyber‑security strategy to safeguard the personal and financial details of candidates from hacking attempts. According to the EC, the firewall will monitor all traffic to the Form 7 site, block suspicious IP addresses, and log any intrusion attempts for further investigation. While opposition parties welcomed the step as a necessary safeguard, some civil‑society groups raised concerns about potential delays in the filing process if legitimate traffic is mistakenly flagged.