State Run telco BSNL has reported a malware attack on a section of its broadband service. The alleged malware changed the passwords of some Wi-Fi routers that had not changed their default passwords. Coming to numbers, Almost 2,000 users that had not changed the default password from ‘admin’ were affected.
As a countermeasure, BSNL said that they’ve been calling subscribers to change their WiFi passwords. Also, the telco has stated that no other area of operation was impacted by this attack. The core systems of BSNL are reported to be secure from the malware.
BSNL Chairman, Anupam Srivastav told PTI,
“The situation has been addressed to a great extent. We are advising customers that they should immediately change their passwords, and they should not be worried about using broadband once they have done that,”.
In the light of recent attacks malware and ransomware attacks, it is now of utmost importance for India to adopt stringent cyber security and related laws. The malware attack on BSNL was not a core-damaging one but did cause trouble to 2,000 subscribers.
A Recent Relevant Case
Talking about another telecom operator hit, we can point out Reliance Jio. Jio recently faced a data-leak where anyone could access a Jio user’s data when they put the person’s Jio registered mobile number on a website. The site was soon scrapped and Jio claimed no major data leak had happened.
Last year also, attacks like Lucifer took place, where banks and pharmaceuticals had to pay ransoms to unlock their systems.
Some Countermeasures
To avoid a malware attack on your computer and other devices, it is important to keep them updated. Apart from updating, make sure you use an antivirus to eliminate potential threats.
Also, using original software is also an effective countermeasure against virus and malware threats.
