Hackers encrypt data of Mahim company, demand money for restoring access

When one of the employees tried accessing the system, a message popped up stating to write to an email ID to negotiate a price for decrypting the data, the police said

MUMBAI: The computer systems of a paintbrush manufacturing company in Mahim were allegedly hacked by unidentified individuals, leading to the loss of the company’s confidential data. When one of the employees tried accessing the system, a message popped up stating to write to an email ID to negotiate a price for decrypting the data, the police said.

Hackers encrypt data of Mahim company, demand money for restoring access

According to the police, the incident occurred on June 23, when the employees of the company, Harris Brushes Private Limited, tried to open a file, a message popped up stating, ‘Your files have been encrypted. To decrypt/restore files, please write to us how much payment is to be made. Once payment is made, the files will be made available,’ said a police officer.

“The company uses SAP Business One software in its systems. Despite the efforts of their technical team, the data could not be retrieved,” the officer said.

Following this, the company hired private experts to check the computers, who found a new SQL folder, indicating a ransomware attack. “Due to this, the company lost sales invoices, purchase invoices, bank and journal entries, GRN entries, purchase orders, production records, inventory records, Win Man software, TCS/TDS records, spine/ESSL attendance records etc,” he added.