India’s wave of cyberattacks prompts calls for tougher rules and countermeasures

Among the entities that have been targeted by hackers were Star Health Insurance, the Supreme Court and SMEs

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A laptop with binary computer code and an India flag on the screen. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 6:46pm, 14 Oct 2024Updated: 6:49pm, 14 Oct 2024

An alarming wave of cyberattacks is sweeping across India, compromising millions of personal records as tech analysts say stronger regulations and other countermeasures are needed to plug the critical weaknesses in the nation’s digital infrastructure.

“Various sectors, including healthcare, education, government, and critical infrastructure, have been particularly hard hit,” said Diwakal Dayal, India-based vice president of SentinelOne, a global cybersecurity firm.

“These sectors often struggle with underfunded cybersecurity measures, making them attractive targets for malicious actors.”

In recent weeks, major entities including Star Health Insurance, the Supreme Court’s YouTube channel, and the popular podcast BeerBiceps have fallen victim to cyberattacks, leading to significant data breaches and temporary shutdowns.

A hacker infiltrated Star Health Insurance, accessing 7.24 terabytes of data and compromising the personal data of up to 3.1 million people, and demanded a ransom from the company in August.

Details taken from the system of India’s largest health insurer, including names, birthdays, tax identities and confidential medical records, have been uploaded for sale online for US$150,000 and caused a sharp decline in its share price.