Cops allege ‘malware attack’ on MIDC servers; unidentified persons booked

Mumbai: The Mumbai Police on Wednesday booked unidentified persons for launching a “malware attack” on the servers of the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC), which impacted the portal’s database.

As per the complaint, it was a ‘ransomware attack’ and was detected on March 21, when the MIDC’s applications went down at 11 pm.

The servers are hosted in the MIDC headquarters in Mumbai.

“The ransomware ‘SYNack’ impacted the applications and database servers hosted on Cloud DC and DR (ESDS) and local servers hosted at MIDC HQ in Mumbai by encrypting the data stored in these servers,” the MIDC shared in a statement.

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Ransomware is a type of malware that threatens to publish the victim’s data or block access to it unless a ransom amount is paid.

A case has been registered under various sections of the Information Technology Act (IT Act) at the cyber police station.

This is not the first time that a state server has come under a cyber attack. Maharashtra Energy Minister Nitin Raut had informed a few months ago that the major power cut across Mumbai in October 2020 could also be a possible cyber attack on the city’s electrical infrastructure with an intent to disrupt the power supply.