Indian digital trust services provider eMudhra announced on Thursday that it will voluntarily withdraw from the global SSL/TLS certificate business. The decision follows the discovery of critical vulnerabilities that prompted major tech giants including Google, Apple, Microsoft and Mozilla to block its digital certificates.
SSL and TLS protocols secure data transmitted between web browsers and servers also preventing unauthorized interception. eMudhra provides these security credentials to digital businesses and public platforms including India’s income tax portal and major IT firms like Infosys and TCS.
The crisis began over the weekend when an independent cybersecurity researcher discovered weak, vulnerable certificates issued by the firm. On Wednesday, the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) issued an advisory confirming that several of eMudhra’s intermediate certificates were compromised.
In response, eMudhra revoked eight affected certificates. The company stressed that its core infrastructure remained uncompromised and no data was breached. It added that the global SSL/TLS vertical accounts for just 1% of its total revenue also arguing that online reaction was disproportionate to the division's commercial weight.
Despite the firm's reassurances and cybersecurity concerns sparked sharp market backlash. Shares of eMudhra plummeted 40% over two days following the disclosure also reflecting heightened global scrutiny over digital security and data privacy standards.
