As the 2024 NEET paper controversy continues to impact students’ lives and jeopardise the future of more than 24 lakh students, it triggered discussions on how technology could potentially mitigate some of the security challenges in these high-stakes exams. However, the fact that the paper was leaked on the dark web, which is the hidden part of the internet that is not indexed by regular search engines and circulated on telegrams, also highlights the failure of the present digital system. Many exams worldwide have started using digital systems to mitigate such security incidents, allowing for greater reliability, fairness and inclusion in high-stakes exams. Still, the existing digital divide and its unique challenges are also to be considered while discussing any potential shift in policy.