Government Websites Restored In Uttarakhand Post Malware Attack, CM Dhami Reviews Cybersecurity

Dehradun: The websites of key government departments in Uttarakhand, temporarily shut down due to a malware attack at the State Data Center, were restored on Sunday. 

Nitika Khandelwal, Director of the Information Technology Development Agency (ITDA), reported that major sites such as 'Apni Sarkar', 'E-Office', 'E-Ravanna', and the Chardham registration portal have been successfully restored, while the CM Helpline and 'State Portal' were back online on Saturday. CM Dhami also reviewed cybersecurity infrastructure. 

Websites Restored Post-Malware Attack 

The cyber attack occurred on Wednesday, coinciding with a government holiday. As a result, some operations had to be conducted manually, including the verification of ration card holders.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami convened a high-level meeting to assess the recent malware incident that led to the temporary shutdown of the state's data center. During the meeting, he instructed officials to complete the scanning of the data center and restore all critical websites and online services by Monday.

CM Dhami Reviews Cybersecurity Infrastructure

Khandelwal assured that there was no data loss resulting from the cyber attack. In the last two days, the CM Helpline received approximately 2,034 calls, with 1,879 returned and over 600 complaints registered.

Malware, a type of computer virus, is typically used to steal data.

State Information Technology Secretary Nitesh Jha informed the Chief Minister that out of 1,378 machines, 11 were affected by the malware. The data center has undergone multiple scans in the past two days, and many websites, including the e-office and CM helpline, have been restored.

Dhami emphasized the need for enhanced security measures at the State Data Centre, urging collaboration with top agencies from the Government of India in the field of Information Technology. He directed officials to conduct a security audit of both the State Data Centre and its websites.

Additionally, he called for the establishment of a Disaster Recovery Centre to ensure the security and recovery of online data across various departments. Dhami also requested a review of the company responsible for technical work at the ITDA, stating that any negligence should result in appropriate action. He instructed the ITDA to ensure that the anti-virus systems are updated in all government offices to prevent future incidents.

(With inputs from PTI)