CBI alerts all state police about cyber criminals targeting hospitals

Acting on an Interpol tip-off, the CBI has alerted all the state police about cyber criminals increasingly targeting hospitals and other vital health installations involved in tackling coronavirus crisis. 

"Cyber criminals are using ransomware to hold hospitals and medical services digitally hostage; preventing them from accessing vital files and systems until a ransom is paid," the Interpol has said, news agency PTI reported.

The Interpol has issued a purple notice alerting all its 194 member countries about such activities.

Purple notice is issued by the Interpol to seek or provide information on modus operandi, objects, devices and concealment methods used by criminals.

The International police organisation has red flagged a ransomware which is being spread using email camouflaged as information or advice regarding coronavirus or COVID-19 from a government agency, luring the recipient to click the infected attachments.

Once the attachment is opened, it blocks the recipient's access to the system till a ransom in paid, officials said.

The Interpol has said that globally hospitals are at the "highest risk" of becoming victims of such emails in the wake of the pandemic, the officials said.

The body has recommended that all important files should be properly backed up and hardware and software systems should be updated by hospitals to ward off any possibility of coming under such cyber attack, they said..