Andhra Pradesh Secretariat has also been hit by a cyber attack, said an Official on Wednesday. Some of the computers at the State Secretariat at Velagapudi were hacked. The Information Technology department identified that 20 computers were affected by the cyber attack.
The experts from the department were trying their level best to retrieve the data and re-write the CDs to clear the virus. It is reported that the computers are affected by ‘ ransomware’ attack.According to reports, the virus has paraylised operations of some computers in third, fourth and fifth blocks on the Secretariat premises. The Personnel having laptops were vary of the attack and used their equipment as a measure against loss of data relating to important files. Files were getting cleared in e-filing mode through the laptops in the last two days, said sources.
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The IT department has received complaints about hacking only from the Revenue Department. Officials said wherever necessary new hard disks would be installed. The experts were trying to find out if computers in other departments also affected by the virus.On May 13 a section of computers of the Andhra Pradesh Police Department were affected by a global cyberattack. It is said that the computers in the CMO located in the first block were linked with the other computers in the remaining four blocks through the local area network (LAN). The virus initially hit some computers might spread to atleast four computers in the office.
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However, Vijayanand, Principal Secretary Information Technology denied the reports telecast on the TV channels suggesting cyber attack on the computers in the Secretariat. ” Not a single computer is affected in the secretariat”, he asserted. He stated that ‘Preventive’ measures were initiated by an IT team to protect the 1,350 systems in the secretariat.