Numerous computers were compromised by the repercussions of a ransomware attack on the National Center of Mental Health and Neurosciences, an Institute of National importance in Bangalore. The cyberattack on NIMHANS, India’s premier mental health research institute, has generated a security risk for the organisation. The incident occurred on March 22.
The institute’s information technology department formed multiple response teams to analyse systems and identify the most dangerous facets of the outbreak. The institute was victimised by malware triggered by a virus contained in a mail received via Windows 7 or 8.
Dr Pratima Murthy, Director of the NIMHANS, indicated that the organisation instructed employees to disable their LAN connections to prevent malware from spreading to other machines and took steps to install anti-virus software.
The Director also ascertained that the patient database was secure, and there was no reason to worry about the operation of the trauma unit. She also clarified that the virus had affected only machines in the administrative area.
Meanwhile, officials from NIMHANS have not specified whether the attackers have been compensated for restoring the status quo and halting the virus’ spread. In similar early incidents, the perpetuators may demand a high amount of ransom money to neutralise the threat.
Despite measures made since March 23 to avert the strike, the extent of the damage is unknown at this point. However, speculation regarding a potential data breach on scientific test reports of patients and historical medical records cannot be dismissed while considering the nature of the attack.
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