Hyderabad : A ransomware attack on Telangana ’s flagship single-window business clearance portal TG-iPASS has knocked the system offline, with investigators finding the database encrypted. The breach has triggered a criminal investigation by the Telangana Cyber Security Bureau (TGCSB).
Based on the complaint, TGCSB registered a case under Sections 43 and 66 of the Information Technology Act and launched an investigation into the cyberattack, which has left the state’s key business approvals platform out of service. Section 43 deals with penalty and compensation for damage to computer, computer system, etc., and section 66 (computer-related offences). The complainant requested TGCSB to isolate the affected systems, preserve logs and disk images, conduct a forensic investigation, and determine whether any data was accessed or exfiltrated. The TGCSB was also asked to deploy an incident response team and ensure that the service provider does not format, reimage or alter the compromised server, preventing the loss of crucial digital evidence.