Ransomware continued to take its toll on the Bengal Government computers hitting services hard in the West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company’s Birbhum offices, prompting the State Government to hold high-level meetings to take preventive measures from such attack in other Government facilities, sources said.
After East Midnapore, West Midnapore and South Dinajpur tens of WBSEDl computers were hit in Bengal’s Birbhum district affecting services, sources said.
Computer services were hit at Siuri, Rampurhat, Murarai, Nalhati and other sub-station areas, employees said adding “computers stopped working from the morning hitting transactions hard.” In each case the bug left a ransom message. “Ransom demands varied from USD 300 and 500” an official said.
The Tuesday’s attack comes a day after computer networks in at least three districts went kaput following WannaCrypt attack that affected other vital services like billing and cash receipt against monthly bills.
According to reports the crypto-ransomware bug hit PCs in four power sub-stations at Belda, Danton, Narayangarh and Keshiyari blocks in West Midnapore, sources said not ruling out chances of the malware hitting other networks.
Meanwhile, a high-level meeting — attended amongst others by Chief Secretary Basudeb Banerjee, DGP Surajit Karpurakayastha and computer experts — was held at State secretariat at Nabanna where decisions were taken to insulate the other installations from the cyberattack.
At Kolkata Municipal Corporation Mayor Sovan Chatterjee read out “dos and don’ts” to protect the computers from attacks. “We have issued circulars asking our employees to follow some dos and don’ts including not to open unknown mails,” Chatterjee said.