Cyber attack: AIIMS loses VIP data, hacker wants talks

Sources said the perpetrator has asked the hospital to “prepare for negotiation” for the data held captive through e-mail.
AIIMS Delhi. (File Photo)
AIIMS Delhi. (File Photo)

NEW DELHI: For the second day, AIIMS-Delhi remained a victim of a cyber attack as the authorities failed to retrieve data of lakhs of patients, including VVIPs like Home Minister Amit Shah, former PM Manmohan Singh, and many diplomats.

The security breach was detected on Wednesday. Sources said senior Home Ministry and IT ministry
officials burned the midnight oil with techies of the National Informatics Centre (NIC) to counter the ransomeware attack which has swept clean the medical records stored in the main and backup server of the hospital.

Sources said the perpetrator has asked the hospital to “prepare for negotiation” for the data held captive through e-mail. However, the government on Thursday said various law enforcement agencies were investigating the cyber attack and supporting AIIMS to restore digital patient care services.

“We hope to be able to restore the affected activities soon. Meanwhile, all emergency and routine patient care services and lab services are being managed manually,” said a government statement. Two employees of the computer facility of the apex institute have been suspended for negligence, sources said. An FIR under various sections of the IT Act was also registered.

Many patients who queued up at the departments for their consultation and follow-up were asked to return, doctors said. The institute has also changed the discharge policy until the system is restored. Sources said patients admitted to the general ward are not being charged for the cost of investigations and other routine tests incurred by the institute during discharge.

Meanwhile, the patients of private wards are told to take back their deposit charged during admission once the e-hospital system is restored, sources said. The cyber attack was reported 6.45am on Wednesday as it hit the e-hospital service that manages patient data system and routine activities in the patient care areas, including OPD registration, tests, smart lab and billing, among others.

WiFi, broadband internet services shut on campus
The AIIMS administration has temporarily shut WiFi and broadband internet services on the campus, including hostels, to prevent hackers from penetrating further. However, mobile internet remained active. The institute has changed the discharge policy until the system is restored.

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