Haldiram's servers get hit by ransomware attack, hackers demand $750,000
Haldiram's servers were affected with the ransomware attack and the hackers are demanding a ransom of USD 750,000.
Popular food giant Haldiram's was recently attacked by a group of hackers. The company's servers were affected with the ransomware attack. In order to release the data, the hackers are demanding a sum of USD 750,000 (roughly Rs. 56 lakhs). The information includes financial and sales details of the company, according to Noida Police.
The unidentified accused hacked the server of the company based in the industrial Sector 62 of Noida using a cyber malware popularly called 'Ransomware Attack', the police said. In case you are unaware, a Ransomware Attack is basically where hackers lock the victims' data instead of stealing it. The data gets deleted if the ransom asked is not paid on time. But this time around the hackers have even stolen some of the important files.
According to the FIR lodged at Sector 58 police station, the cyberattack took place on the intervening night of October 12 and 13 and the hackers may have stolen "entire or substantial data" of the company which runs several restaurants and outlets.
The complaint made by a Haldiram's official said that an IT official of Haldiram's consequently accessed the Firewall programme on the company's servers and found some traffic generating from servers, showing certain IP addresses.
"Finally, the officials of the company found out that some programme was being executed on the aforementioned servers and all the data of the company was being diverted from and going out from the servers of the company," it stated.
"… Therefore, the said programme was immediately terminated by the officials along with the connectivity to all systems at branch locations of the company.
However, it is apprehended that till the said disconnection was undertaken by the officials, maybe the entire or substantial data may have already been stolen from the servers of the company," it stated.
The company said its official raised a complaint with its data security and cybersecurity firm, Trend Micro, and alleged that all files and sensitive data of the firm had been encrypted by the hacker, thereby, preventing its officials from interacting with their files, data, applications and systems.
It said that the hackers, to give effect to a pre-planned criminal conspiracy, have not only stolen data from the servers and systems of the company but have also contacted company officials through certain servers to illegally extort money to provide back the access to the company's own data and to delete the stolen data from the servers and systems.
A Haldiram’s representative claimed the hacker(s) have demanded a ransom of USD 7,50,000 in order to decrypt the servers of the company including all its files, data, applications, systems, etc and delete the stolen data from their own systems. The Noida Police said they have taken up the investigation and its Cyber Cell is working on the case.
"The allegations have been found to be true by our Cyber Cell, which is now probing the case. Whatever points and facts emerge during the probe, the matter would be dealt with accordingly," Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police, Noida, Ranvijay Singh said.
The FIR has been lodged against unknown accused under Indian Penal Code sections 420 (cheating), 384 (extortion) and under relevant provisions of the Information Technology Act, the police said.
(with inputs from PTI)