Ransomware Attack Hits Orient Blackswan in Hyderabad, Rs 20 Mn Demanded

Cybercriminals targeted renowned publishing house Orient Blackswan in Hyderabad with a major ransomware attack that disrupted its IT infrastructure and encrypted critical business data, with attackers demanding a ransom of Rs 20 million to restore access.

According to the Hyderabad Cybercrime police, the cyberattack came to light after K Ananth Shekar, vice-president (administration) of Orient Blackswan, lodged an official complaint regarding the breach.

In the complaint, Shekar stated that the company's computer systems were compromised at around 11:55 pm on August 27. Following the intrusion, vital business data was encrypted without authorisation. The attack severely impacted essential operations, disabling both servers and databases across the company's network.

A ransom note that appeared on the affected computer screens instructed the publishing house to contact two specific email addresses in order to make the payment and obtain the decryption tools needed to regain access to their encrypted files.

Following the discovery of the breach, the company’s internal technical team acted immediately to contain the damage. Technical personnel isolated the affected machines and systems from the rest of the network to prevent the ransomware from spreading to other parts of the infrastructure. In addition, backup restoration procedures were initiated, internal stakeholders were alerted, and standard precautionary protocols were implemented across the organisation.

The publishing house subsequently approached the Hyderabad Cybercrime police to request an in-depth investigation into the source, method, and nature of the cyberattack.

To assist investigators, the company provided technical and forensic material to the police. This evidence included screenshots of the ransom notes, system log files, forensic evidence, configuration details of the servers, associated IP addresses, and comprehensive lists of all affected servers and databases.

The Hyderabad Cybercrime police have registered a case and an investigation is currently underway to trace the perpetrators behind the attack.