Cyber attacks on critical infrastructure: Is India ready?

Last week’s cyber attack crippled one of the largest pipelines in US, Colonial Pipeline. This was a case of ransomware attack, where hackers usually threaten to block the system or publish the targeted company or victim’s confidential data, unless a ransom is paid

Last week, a major cyber attack crippled one of the largest pipelines in the United States (US), Colonial Pipeline, which carries about 45% of all fuel consumed on the country’s East Coast. The attack disrupted fuel supplies and caused a surge in gas prices in some parts of the country.

This was a case of ransomware attack, where hackers usually threaten to block the system or publish the targeted company or victim’s confidential data, unless a ransom is paid. US authorities have blamed Darkside, a Russia-based criminal group, for the attack, but so far have ruled out the Russian government’s involvement. Reportedly, the company has paid the hackers nearly $5 million in ransom.

The attack on Colonial Pipeline fits the broader trend witnessed in recent years of cyberattacks on critical infrastructure which require to be operational at all times such as traffic systems, banks, power grids, oil pipelines and nuclear reactors. For years, security researchers have speculated about the possibility of the sabotaging of these operations. Now, States, keen to settle their geopolitical scores, have shown that such disruptions are no longer a piece of fiction.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/opinion/cyber-attacks-on-critical-infrastructure-is-india-ready-101621514744151.html