The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), which is part of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, has been requested by the Union Health Ministry to investigate a reported attempt to hack into its website, allegedly by a Russian hacker group.
According to CloudSEK’s cyber security experts, the Russian hacker group “Phoenix” targeted the website and was able to gain access to the ministry’s Health Management Information System portal, which contains information on all the hospitals in India as well as their staff members and doctors. “We have sought details and asked the CERT-In to look into the alleged hacking of the health ministry’s website. They will submit a report,” an official source told PTI.
CERT-In provides prevention and response services to governmental bodies and private organisations. It is the nation’s nodal agency for handling computer security issues. The group stated that the attack is “a consequence of India’s agreement over the oil price cap and sanctions of G20 over the Russia-Ukraine war,” according to a report by CloudSEK.
The G7-approved price cap on Russian oil was the driving force behind this target, according to CloudSEK, which also explained that Indian authorities decided not to violate the sanctions against the Russian Federation. This decision led to numerous polls on Russian hacktivist Phoenix’s Telegram channel asking the followers for their votes, according to the statement.
Phoenix, according to CloudSEK, has been operating since January 2022, is well-known for its phishing attacks, and has previously targeted hospitals in Japan and the UK, a US-based healthcare provider for the US military, and the website of the Spanish Foreign Ministry, among others.