Tirupati temple computers attacked by WannaCry ransomware; issues resolved

Only 20 computers used for administrative functions were affected

The computer systems of Tirumala Tirupati Devastanam (TTD's), which manages the world's richest temple, has also fallen prey to the recent WannaCry ransomware attack.

However, temple authorities said the cyber attack did not affect daily operations as few computers were attacked and the issue was resolved immediately.

Over the last few days, WannaCry has infected computers running on older versions of Microsoft operating systems, locking access to files.

TTD officials told Business Standard that 20 computers used for administrative work were affected and as a precaution they stopped using other systems till the issue was addressed.

Some workers were using pirated software, which resulted in the attack. The IT wing took notice and immediately disconnected the systems.

TTD's Executive Officer Anil Kumar Singhal confirmed that some systems were impacted. However, ticket sales, financial management and other services were not affected by this.

From crowd management to booking tickets, IT plays a major role in Tirumala where the famous Balaji temple is located. 

Thousands of crores are collected through online and offline channels from devotees every year.

Singhal said that TTD is in talks with IT majors to address any such future threats and challenges.
 

Sources in TTD said the original software was installed in around 2,000 systems and that the IT department updated the firewalls post the attack.