Akira Ransomware - Cyber Security of India

What’s in today’s article?

• Why in News?
• What is a Ransomware? How it Works?
• What can Users do to protect against Ransomware?
• India’s Cyber Security Mechanism
• Laws Related to Cyber Security in India
• Institutions Involved in Cyber Security in India
• News Summary
• About Akira Ransomware

 

Why in News?

• The Computer Emergency Response Team of India issued an alert for ransomware called “Akira”.

 

What is a Ransomware? How it Works?

• Ransomware is a malware designed to deny a user or organization access to files on their own computer.
• By encrypting these files and demanding a ransom payment for the decryption key, cyber attackers place organizations/individuals in a position where paying the ransom is the easiest and cheapest way to regain access to their files.
• Some variants have added additional functionality – such as data theft – to provide further incentive for ransomware victims to pay the ransom.
• Ransomware has quickly become the most prominent and visible type of malware.
• Recent ransomware attacks have impacted hospitals’ ability to provide crucial services, crippled public services in cities, and caused significant damage to various organizations.

 

What can Users do to protect against Ransomware?

• Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) has advised users to follow basic internet hygiene and protection protocols to ensure their security against ransomware.
• These include maintaining up to date offline backups of critical data, to prevent data loss in the event of an attack.
• Additionally, users are advised to ensure all operating systems and networks are updated regularly, with virtual patching for legacy systems and networks.

 

India’s Cyber Security Mechanism

• As per the government data presented in the Parliament, India witnessed 13.91 Lakh cyber security incidents in 2022, marking an average of 3,835 cyber security issues reported every day of the year.
• The Internet Crime Report by the FBI revealed that India is ranked third in the world among the top 20 countries being victimized by cyber-crimes.
• At present, India does not have any dedicated cyber security law.

 

Laws Related to Cyber Security in India

• Information Technology Act, 2000 –
  • As of now, the only law applicable to such a mechanism is the Information Technology Act, 2000.
  • The Act provides legal recognition and protection for transactions carried out through electronic data and other means of electronic communication.
  • It also focuses on information security, defines reasonable security practices to be followed by corporates and redefines the role of intermediaries, recognizes the role of the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In).
  • The IT Act not only extends to the whole of India, but it is also applicable to any offence or contravention committed outside India by any person.
• National Cyber Security Policy (2013) –
  • National Cyber Security Policy is a policy framework by Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DeitY).
  • It aims at protecting the public and private infrastructure from cyber-attacks.
  • The policy also intends to safeguard “information, such as personal information (of web users), financial and banking information and sovereign data”.

 

Institutions Involved in Cyber Security in India

• Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) –
  • CERT-In has been operational since 2004.
  • It is an office within the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
  • It is the nodal agency to deal with cyber security threats like hacking and phishing. It strengthens security-related defence of the Indian Internet domain.
  • In the Information Technology Amendment Act, 2008, CERT-In has been designated to serve as the national nodal agency to perform various functions in the area of cyber security.
• Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) –
  • Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre is an initiative of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to combat cyber-crime in the country, in a coordinated and effective manner.
  • It acts as a nodal point in the fight against cybercrime.
  • The scheme was approved in October 2018 with a proposed amount of Rs. 415.86 crore.
  • The centre is located in New Delhi.
• National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal –
  • It is a citizen-centric initiative which will enable citizens to report cybercrimes online and all the complaints will be accessed by the concerned law enforcement agencies for taking action as per law.
  • The portal was launched on a pilot basis in August, 2019.

 

News Summary

• The Computer Emergency Response Team of India issued an alert for ransomware called “Akira”.
• The ransomware, found to target both Windows and Linux devices, steals and encrypts data, forcing victims to pay double ransom for decryption and recovery.
• The group behind the ransomware has already targeted multiple victims, mainly those located in the U.S.

 

About Akira Ransomware

• The Akira ransomware is designed to encrypt data, create a ransomware note and delete Windows Shadow Volume copies on affected devices.
• The ransomware gets its name due to its ability to modify filenames of all encrypted files by appending them with the “.akira” extension.
• The ransomware is designed to close processes or shut down Windows services that may keep it from encrypting files on the affected system.
• It uses VPN services, especially when users have not enabled two-factor authentication, to trick users into downloading malicious files.

 

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Q1) What is a Proxy Server?

In computer networking, a proxy server is a server application that acts as an intermediary between a client requesting a resource and the server providing that resource. It improves privacy, security, and performance in the process.

 

Q2)  What is Cloud Computing in simple words?

Simply put, cloud computing is the delivery of computing services—including servers, storage, databases, networking, software, analytics, and intelligence—over the Internet (“the cloud”) to offer faster innovation, flexible resources, and economies of scale.

 

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Source: What is the Akira ransomware, and why has the government issued a warning against it?