AIIMS cyber attack originated in China, all servers retrieved now: MoHFW

AIIMS cyber attack: The Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations (IFSO) unit of the Delhi Police on November 25 had registered a case of extortion and cyber terrorism

The attack on the server of the All Indian Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) originated in China. Out of the total 100 servers, five physical servers were infiltrated, and they have been retrieved now, ANI reported, quoting officials from the ministry of health and family welfare.

"FIR details that the attack originated from China. Of 100 servers (40 physical & 60 virtual), five physical servers were successfully infiltrated by the hackers. Data in the five servers have been successfully retrieved now: Senior officials from MoHFW," the tweet said. 

AIIMS Delhi faced a cyber attack on November 23, paralysing its servers. The Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations (IFSO) unit of the Delhi Police on November 25 registered a case of extortion and cyber terrorism.

The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team within the ministry of electronics and information technology, Delhi cybercrime special cell, Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre, Intelligence Bureau, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), National Forensic Sciences University, National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre and NIA, among others, were investigating the cyber attack.

Raising the AIIMS cyber attack issue in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram Shashi Tharoor said that the matter should be thoroughly investigated.

"It also reflects the weak data protection safeguards in our country, especially by government institutions. The Personal Data Protection Bill 2019 had created a special category of sensitive personal data including health data that required stringent safeguards but this has unfortunately been done away with in the new draft bill released by the government," he said.

He also called upon the IT and electronics minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to take necessary action to ensure that such data breaches don't take place again.

Last Thursday, the minister of State for IT, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, said that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) was investigating the "deliberate and targeted" ransomware attack. 

(With agency inputs)