West Bengal State Data Center Hit by Five-Day Cyberattack; Data Theft Feared

Summary

A reported five-day attack on West Bengal’s state data center allegedly involved malware and may have exposed data from four departments. Government portals and services were disrupted; officials have not confirmed theft.

Key points

• Government sources say the attack took place from September 9 to 13, with malware scripts reportedly running for five days.
• Experts involved in the forensic investigation suspect that a large amount of data from four departments, including Finance, may have been stolen and possibly destroyed.
• Potentially affected information reportedly includes government schemes, birth and death registrations, small industries, and government financial transactions.
• Birth and death registration and municipal online services were among those reported unavailable or not functioning properly.
• Investigators reportedly found at least 50 virtual machines active during the attack; experts said the Finance Department’s internal systems were not affected.
• The government has not officially confirmed the attack or data theft. The investigation into the extent of any data loss and the safety of scheme beneficiaries’ data is ongoing.