Nagpur: The investigation into the cyber attack on Nagpur’s Solar Industries Limited (SIL) has been transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The State Government has issued a notification in this regard on the request of Nagpur police, a media report said.
A hackers’ group named BlackCat or ALPHV had launched the ransomware attack on the industrial and defence explosives manufacturer last month. The hackers had claimed to have stolen 2TB data from the company’s server at Nagpur. Four threat emails were sent to the company after intruding into the servers on January 21. The e-mails were having links for negotiation with a time of 24 hours.
The company had immediately alerted the Computer Emergency Response Team-India (CERT-In) and Nagpur police. An offence was registered by Cyber Police Station of Nagpur after receiving the complaint. More than 14 government agencies had camped in Nagpur for assessment of data stolen by the hackers. On the instructions of senior officers, the Nagpur police transferred the investigation to the CBI.
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According to reports, a hackers group, BlackCat or ALPHV, had launched a ransomware attack on Solar Industries Limited. Classified information like drawings, engineering specifications and audits of Pinaka rockets, Brahmos, Akash, several warheads, mines, bombs and other sensitive defence products have ended up on the darknet for the highest bidders to buy. The hackers claim to have stolen 2TB data from the company’s server at Nagpur.
SIL started as a manufacturer of explosives for the mining industry. Over the last 10 years, it has diversified into making defence explosives also and emerged as the leading private player in making ammunition. The defence business is undertaken through its fully owned subsidiary.
Lately, Solar supplied boosters for Brahmos missiles and also the PSLV, and has also developed a satellite, Vikram I, in association with Hyderabad’s Skyroot Aerospace, in which the group has a stake. This is said to be the biggest ever project outside ISRO.
Solar is the first private company to get an order to make hand grenades for the Indian Army, and the first batch was flagged off by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. Solar is also developing the advanced versions of Pinaka rockets, which are among the latest artillery weapon systems of the army. The company has also indigenized the 30mm ammunition for naval guns recently.
