OIL cyber attack: IB officials, two more central agencies launch probe

Tinsukia: A day after a 2-member team of Intelligence Bureau and the cyber cell of Assam police has launched an independent probe into the “cyber attack” of Ransomware on Oil India Limited’s work station at Duliajan, a 4-member team of two more central agencies have landed in Dibrugarh on Thursday.

The officials from National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIIPC) and Computer Emergency Response Team – India (CERT-IN) have reportedly reached OIL headquarters and started their investigation. 

On April 10, the PSU giant came under a “major” cyber attack following which OIL had to withdraw all its computers from LAN connectivity and disable internet connectivity, resulting in huge financial loss as business through IT has been seriously affected. Two days later, OIL’s IT department detected a ransom note demanding USD 75 lakh on one of the infected computers.

Confirming the development, a source in the OIL said, the IB team has seized one of the infected computers from geology and reservoir (GR) department of Oil India Limited, besides questioning officials of the department. 

“The preliminary findings are yet to be out,” the source said, adding, “They are looking beyond ransom and trying to figure out whether there are any similarities in recent attack on Power Grid facility near Ladakh.”

Meanwhile, officials of NCIIPC and CERT-IN have lauched their independent probe to identify the country from where the cyberattack has been carried out and secure OIL’s data. “It is believed international hackers are behind the cyber attack which has been identified as Ransomware,” another source added.

Earlier, OIL had filed a police complaint with Duliajan police stating that after preliminary investigation, it has come to the notice that OIL’s network, server and clients PC are facing network outage.

“It has also come to the notice that cyber attacker has demanded 7500000 USD as a ransom through a note from one of the infected PCs,” the FIR read based on which a case has been registered under section 385 of the IPC R/W Sec 66/66F IT Act.

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