China's Hackers Target India's Power Supply, Massive Mumbai Blackout Was a Warning Shot

Computer networks of at least 12 Indian state-run organisations, primarily power utilities and load dispatch centres, have been targeted by Chinese state- According to the study by Recorded Future, a US-based company that monitors the use of the internet by state actors for cyber-campaigns, NTPC Limited, the country’s largest power conglomerate, five primary regional load dispatch centres that aid in the management of the national power grid by balancing electricity supply and demand, and two ports were among the organisations attacked. However, the investigators of the Recorded Future study said that the alleged link between the outage and the discovery of the unspecified malware in the system “remains unsubstantiated” but “additional evidence suggested the coordinated targeting of the Indian load dispatch centers”. However, this disclosure provides additional evidence suggesting the coordinated targeting of Indian Load Dispatch Centres.” Red Echo, the Chinese group behind the intrusion, was described by Reported Future as having clear overlaps – in terms of both the technologies it hires and the victims it targets – with other organisations, including APT41/Barium and Tonto Team, who have been active in similar cyber-campaigns. The 12 organisations that fell victim to the cyber attack by Red Echo included Power System Operation Corporation Limited, NTPC Limited, NTPC’s Kudgi power plant, Western Regional Load Dispatch Centre, Southern Regional Load Dispatch Centre, North Eastern Regional Load Dispatch Centre, Eastern Regional Load Dispatch Centre, Telangana State Load Dispatch Centre, Delhi State Load Dispatch Centre, the DTL Tikri Kalan sub-station of Delhi Transco Ltd, VO Chidambaranar Port and Mumbai Port Trust.