Telangana’s flagship single-window clearance portal, TG-iPASS, has been hit by a ransomware cyberattack. The attack has brought its services to a standstill and disrupted the processing of industrial approvals in the state.
The portal has reportedly been non-functional since the night of October 22. Officials found that hackers had encrypted the portal’s database and locked its files. The attackers also appended the extension “.vgb” to the filenames.
A ransom note found on the server confirmed the suspected ransomware attack. However, the hackers have reportedly not made any direct monetary demand. They have instead provided an email address for further communication.
After the incident, the Joint Director of the Industries Department lodged a complaint with the Telangana Cybersecurity Bureau. The bureau has launched an investigation into the security breach.
A case has been registered under Sections 43 and 66 of the Information Technology Act. The affected server has been sent for forensic examination to determine the extent of the breach.
Investigators are examining whether the attackers accessed or stole sensitive information from the system. They are also checking whether any data was transferred outside the network. Earlier, TG-iPASS investment data was deleted after the BRS exposed an industrial slowdown in the state.
