India’s largest container port JNPT hit by a cyber attack

A cyber attack has reportedly targeted a state-run container terminal at Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT), India’s main container port. JNPT officials said that “operations were normal and there was no impact on trade.”

However, sources confirmed that the cyber attack was so severe that all automated operations are down at the moment, and everything is back to the paper-and-pen scenario. The security breaking of the management information system has prompted JNPT to reroute one ship to other terminals.

Among India’s main ports, Jawaharlal Nehru Port handles over half of the entire containerized freight volume. In addition to JNPCT, the port contains four privately-run terminals, two of which are operated by DP World and the other two by APM Terminals (Gateway Terminals India) and PSA International, respectively.

“The initial impact on Indian organizations is not known yet as very few organizations in India have reported the attack to officials. It is important for companies to report such incidents to CERT-in, the emergency response team of the government,” an industry executive said.

This is the second such attack in the last few weeks after the Wannacry ransomware rattled scores of countries. The attackers released data that they had encrypted only on paying a ransom in the form of bitcoins.