Tata Technologies, which is one of the subsidiaries of the leading Indian conglomerate Tata Group, has been found to be the victim of the ransomware attack, leading to the interruption of some of its IT services temporarily. However, the company has ensured the restoration of the suspended IT services and emphasized the conduction of a detailed investigation to identify the root cause of the problem for undertaking effective measurements.
Informing about the cyber security incident to the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) on 31st January 2025, the publicly traded company Tata Technologie revealed in a statement, “As a precautionary measure, some of the IT services were suspended temporarily and have now been restored. Our Client delivery services have remained fully functional and unaffected throughout.”
The official statement also included, “Further detailed investigation is underway in consultation with experts to assess the root cause and to take remedial action as necessary. We remain committed to the highest standards of security and data protection and are taking all necessary steps to mitigate any potential risks.”
Nevertheless, any additional information about the ransomware attack has not been revealed by the company. As of now, any major ransomware groups have not been found to be claiming the attack on Tata Technologies. There is also no clear indication of whether the attacker was able to steal any information from the organization or not.
The detection of ransomware attacks before the encryption stage, generally also leads to the data breach. The occurrence of such incidents in the technology corporations can expose their sensitive and confidential data. As a result, the technological portfolio, intellectual property as well as reputation of the firms can also be damaged.
However, according to a ransomware-tracking website, Ransomware.live, infostealer information for 107 employees and 699 customers of Tata Technologies which has been exposed in the dark web, are detected by the security firm Hudson Rock.
In October 2022, Tata Power, another subsidiary of Tata Group and the largest integrated power company in India, was seen to be the victim of a ransomware attack. The incident of the cyber attack on Tata Power was claimed by the Hive ransomware group. A wide range of data, including financial and banking information, engineering schematics, along personal client information of Tata Power, has been stolen and leaked by the attacker on its extortion portal of the dark web.
Furthermore, the occurrence of a serious fire accident in Tata Electronics, a part of Tata Group, in September 2024, in its Hosur, Tamil Nadu office. A forensic investigation is currently underway there.
About Tata Technologies
Tata Technologies is regarded as an Indian multinational technology organization which has the specialization in product development and providing digital solutions for the automotive, aerospace, and heavy machinery sectors. The headquarters of the company is situated in Pune, India. The business operations of the company are spread across more than 27 countries in Asia, Europe, and North America. The primary business of the company involves providing outsourced engineering services, manufacturing solutions, and digital transformation services to manufacturing clients worldwide for the purpose of facilitating the designing, developing, and delivering the best products.
There are more than 13000 global workforce in Tata Technologies. In FY24, the revenue of the company amounted to around Rs 52328 million, which represented a revenue growth of approximately 15.9 per cent in comparison to the revenue of Rs 45161 million in FY23. In the last three years, the revenue of the company from operations was found to have grown at a CAGR of 29 per cent. Among the recent initiatives, Tata Technologies has been involved in a strategic joint venture with BMW Group. This collaboration seeks to develop business IT solutions and automotive software.
What is a ransomware attack?
Ransomware refers to a sophisticated form of malware that encrypts the files of victims containing important and sensitive information, which enables the attackers to demand ransom payments from the victim for the restoration of the files and networks. Ransomware attacks have remained one of the most prominent cyber threats globally, which have the potential to cause significant disruption in business operations, resulting in financial and reputational damage. Among the root causes of ransomware attacks in corporations worldwide include exploited vulnerabilities, malicious email, compromised credentials, phishing, and many more.
As per a survey among cybersecurity leaders of global organizations, around 59 per cent of worldwide organizations have suffered from ransomware attacks between January and February 2024. The survey revealed that France remained in the top position in the context of ransomware attacks on companies. South Africa, Italy, and Austria ranked second, third, and fourth position in ransomware rates in organizations. In this regard, India comes in fifth place. The leading sectors that are most vulnerable to ransomware attacks include manufacturing, healthcare, technology, and financial services sectors.
Referencing the Quarterly Executive Threat Report 2024, Tata Communications, another Tata Group subsidiary, shared a post on X (Formerly Twitter) on 9th January 2025, which revealed that ransomware had been found as a top cyber threat in 2024. The company also added, “From RaaS platforms to double extortion tactics, the stakes are higher than ever.”
According to Tata Communications' Quarterly Executive Threat Report 2024, ransomware was a top cyberthreat in 2024, with new variants wreaking havoc globally. 🚨From RaaS platforms to double extortion tactics, the stakes are higher than ever. Is your organisation prepared to… pic.twitter.com/kN4LkFH097
— Tata Communications (@tata_comm) January 9, 2025
Recommendations for Future Resilience
Tata Technologies has recognised the significance of making increased investments in the upskilling programs related to Industry 4.0 to enable the workforce of India to be prepared for future resilience. These recommendations come from the company before the upcoming Union Budget. The CEO and managing director of Tata Technologies, Warren Harris, mentioned in a statement that innovation-driven policies, investment in cutting-edge technologies, and product development “in India, for India and the world” are required for the achievement of India’s vision of a 5 trillion dollar economy.
Skill development programs are the key to preparing the workforce to be capable of managing modern advanced technologies such as IoT, AI, and cybersecurity. In the quarterly Executive Threat Report 2024 of Tata Communications, it was mentioned that organizations need to focus on the establishment of a robust patch management policy with an emphasis on critical vulnerabilities. Moreover, all systems need to be regularly updated to address the security gaps.
FAQ
1. What happened to Tata Technologies?
The company has been found to be the victim of the ransomware attack, leading to the interruption of some of its IT services temporarily. However, the company has ensured the restoration of the suspended IT services.
2. Was any sensitive information exposed in the ransomware attack?
According to a ransomware-tracking website, Ransomware.live, infostealer information for 107 employees and 699 customers of Tata Technologies which has been exposed in the dark web, are detected by the security firm Hudson Rock.
3. How is Tata Technologies handling the situation?
The company has emphasized the conduction of a detailed investigation to identify the root cause of the problem for undertaking effective measurements. They are working with experts to assess the root cause and take remedial action as necessary.
4. Are there any previous incidents of cyberattacks on Tata Group subsidiaries?
Yes, in October 2022, Tata Power, another subsidiary of Tata Group, was seen to be the victim of a ransomware attack, and the incident was claimed by the Hive ransomware group.
5. How does a ransomware attack work?
Ransomware refers to a sophisticated form of malware that encrypts the files of victims containing important and sensitive information, allowing the attackers to demand ransom payments for the restoration of the files and networks.