India’s wave of cyberattacks prompts calls for tougher rules and countermeasures
“Various sectors, including healthcare, education, government, and critical infrastructure, have been particularly hard hit,” said Diwakal Dayal, India-based vice president of SentinelOne, a global cybersecurity firm.
In recent weeks, major entities including Star Health Insurance, the Supreme Court’s YouTube channel, and the popular podcast BeerBiceps have fallen victim to cyberattacks, leading to significant data breaches and temporary shutdowns.
A hacker infiltrated Star Health Insurance, accessing 7.24 terabytes of data and compromising the personal data of up to 3.1 million people, and demanded a ransom from the company in August.
Details taken from the system of India’s largest health insurer, including names, birthdays, tax identities and confidential medical records, have been uploaded for sale online for US$150,000 and caused a sharp decline in its share price.