Ransomware attack on AIIMS a conspiracy, planned by forces: Chandrasekhar

The ransomware attack on the servers of AIIMS Delhi is a conspiracy and planned by forces that are significant, Minister of State for Electronics and IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar said on Friday.

The servers of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi, have been out of order for the 10th consecutive day due to the ransomware attack.

"It is clearly a conspiracy and it has been planned by forces that are pretty significant. It is a sophisticated ransomware attack. We will wait for the outcome of CERTin and NIA (National Investigation Agency) before we come to conclusion on who is behind the ransomware attack," Chandrasekhar said.

In a ransomware attack, cybercriminals lock access to data or a device and promise to unlock it after they are paid the desired ransom.

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, National Forensic Sciences University, National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre, and National Investigation Agency, etc. are investigating the cyber attack.

"This will not be the first ransomware attempt. It will not be the last. It is for these entities like they say in the context of terrorism, you have to be right all the time and they can be successful only one time, so we have to be on guard. We have to make sure that our systems and processes are safe and secure. Especially in the era of intensifying digitisation of our economy and of our businesses and activities," Chandrasekhar said.

Meanwhile, internet services at the AIIMS continued to be blocked as per the recommendations of the investigating agencies.

Patient care services including outpatient, laboratory, inpatient and emergency, etc. are operating in manual mode.

On Tuesday, AIIMS authorities informed that the eHospital data has been restored on the servers. They said that the network is being sanitised before the services can be restored.

The process is taking some time due to the volume of data and a large number of servers/computers for the hospital services. Measures are being taken for cyber security, the AIIMS said in a statement issued on Tuesday.

According to cyber security intelligence firm CloudSEK, the number of cyber attacks on the Indian healthcare industry was the second-highest globally, with 7.7 per cent of total incidence on the segment being witnessed in the country in 2021.