Key government networks well protected from ransomware: IT secretary

Cyber attack by ransomware virus ‘WannaCrypt’ has infected more than 300,000 computers worldwide but India says it has nearly zero impact in the country.

The government has installed necessary security in batches to protect its key networks from the cyber attack by ransomware virus ‘WannaCrypt’, information technology secretary Aruna Sundararajan said here on Tuesday.

A screenshot of the warning screen from a purported ransomware attack, as captured by a computer user in Taiwan, is seen on laptop in Beijing on May 13. (AP)

“On ransomware, since March, the government of India has been on high alert. We have already installed the necessary security in batches as far as the government key networks are concerned,” said Sundararajan during the inaugural session of Broadband India Forum.

“We have not got any reports of widespread infection. There have been very few isolated instances and we continue to be on watch,” she added.

Information technology minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Monday had said the cyber attack by ransomware virus ‘WannaCrypt’ had nearly zero impact in India.

“We are strengthening our cyber security. After talking to Microsoft, we had asked people to install patch system in March. This ongoing attack not only had minimum, but nearly zero per cent impact, in India. We are strengthening our areas,” the minister had said.