Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, also known as MeitY or the Indian Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, is headquartered in India. Its operations involve handling sensitive information pertaining to high-ranking officials, indicating a role in managing critical government data infrastructure. The ministry collaborates with entities like the National Informatics Centre, which shares responsibility for securing government computer systems.

A significant cybersecurity incident occurred on September 18, 2020, impacting MeitY and the National Informatics Centre. Over 100 government computers were compromised in this malware attack. The breach originated when an employee clicked on a malicious email attachment. This email was disguised as originating from a Bengaluru-based IT firm, though it was routed through a proxy server. The malware triggered automatic data deletion on infected systems, highlighting vulnerabilities within critical infrastructure managed by the ministry. While authorities stated that media reports of a widespread intrusion were unsubstantiated, the incident exposed security risks. It prompted an investigation by the Delhi Police's Special Cell. The National Informatics Centre noted that its cybersecurity systems detected the attempted breach during routine monitoring of unused accounts, demonstrating existing monitoring protocols.