Cyber attack on Tirupati police headquarter

15 computer systems in various police stations in AP hacked

Vijayawada: The cyber attacks rattling the world hit the police computer network partly in some areas of Andhra Pradesh on Saturday. According to information, the `ransomware’ threw the network out of gear in Chittoor, Tirumala, Tirupati in Chittoor district and some parts in Visakhapatnam districts.

Hackers have sent the malware into police computer systems in Visakhapatnam, rendering two computers ‘non-functional’, it is said. Navin Gulati, Deputy Commissioner of Police (North Zone) said the government systems are vulnerable to attack as they are not technologically upgraded and completely foolproof.

According to sources, the malware initially attacked the local area network (LAN) in the district crime records bureau in Chittoor district which subsequently spread to Central Crime Station (CCS) in Tirupati and CCS and women police station networks in Tirumala and computers in Kalikiri and Yerpedu areas.

The computers subjected to hacking failed to function for several hours in Chittoor district. In a bid to check the virulence of the cyber attack, the police authorities suspended internet connection to the remaining computers.

As a result of the attack, the online functioning of the department involving issue of e-chalans and levy of fines on violators of traffic rules in the affected areas came to a grinding halt. Data stored in the hacked computers pertaining to first information report (FIR) records, remand reports and case dairies is likely to be lost.

Superintendent of Police R Jayalakshmi asserted that it was unlikely that the online functions of the department will be affected in view of the attack, saying the police could also handle certain assignments such as filing of cases manually also.

The network in the other Rayalaseema districts of Kadapa, Kurnool and Anantapur is said to be safe. Hackers first uploaded some malware at 4.55 pm in some of the police computers demanding ransom, said DCRB DSP B Narsappa in his complaint lodged in a Tirupati police station.

“The computer screens in the district police office (DPO) displayed warning messages after some blue dots surfaced from unidentified cyber attackers seeking 300 dollars through Bitcoin digital money site. They warned that the entire data will be wiped out within three days, if their demand is not met”, added Narsappa.

Meanwhile, Director General of Police N Sambhasiva Rao at a media conference asserted that all the 5000 computers used by the police are `by and large safe’, barring a very few. There has been hardly any impact of the malware attack on the systems in the police department, he added.