Dehradun: Uttarakhand IG Law and Order, Nilesh Anand Bharane, held a press conference on Tuesday to address the recent cyber-attack in Uttarakhand. He announced that a special task force, led by DSP Cyber, has been formed to investigate whether it is a cyber-attack or a virus. Bharane assured the public that all data is secure and all applications are functioning properly.
It is being investigated whether the incident is a cyber-attack or a virus that occurred on its own. So far, there has been no reported loss. As for the ransom demand, the amount has not been disclosed. He mentioned that all systems have been scanned multiple times, and 1,400 systems are operational. The attack wasn’t limited to the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS); it was detected there first because other offices were closed for a holiday that day, while work was ongoing in the CCTNS.
A cyber-attack on 2 October brought the IT system of the Uttarakhand government to a halt
Recently, a major cyber-attack brought the IT system of the Uttarakhand government to a halt, severely disrupting government operations. The attack, which occurred on October 2, targeted the state data center with malware, causing the temporary shutdown of many crucial government websites. This disruption affected major offices, including the secretariat.
CM convened a high-level meeting with senior officials
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, upon returning from Rajasthan on October 5, convened a high-level meeting with senior officials from NIC, ITDA, and the Police Department to address the situation. The affected websites, which provide essential services to citizens and officials, included Apni Sarkar, e-Office, and Char Dham registration. The state government initiated rapid corrective measures to mitigate the impact. Additionally, the CM instructed the officials to take quick and effective steps to ensure smooth functioning of all government websites and services by Monday.
All government websites started working again
Uttarakhand Information Technology Development Agency (ITDA) Director Nikita Khandelwal reported that following the CM instructions, all major government websites have been restored. By October 5, the CM Helpline and State Portal were functioning smoothly, allowing citizens to access services once again. Khandelwal assured that no data was lost during the incident and all data remains secure. The state’s key websites, such as Apni Sarkar, e-Office, e-Ravanna portal, and Char Dham registration, are now fully operational.
After restoration, CM helpline received a total of 2034 calls
Following the report of the cyber-attack on the CM Helpline, the state government moved swiftly, working closely with technical teams to manage the situation. In the last two days, the helpline received a total of 2034 calls, with 1879 successfully re-entered. Over 600 complaints have been lodged by citizens and are now being addressed by the relevant authorities. With the helpline services streamlined, citizens are beginning to find relief and have been able to communicate their issues and complaints to the government effectively.
