Pharma Giant Aarti Drugs Faces Major Ransomware Attack

After IPCA Laboratories fell victim to a ransomware attack, Aarti Drugs Ltd, another publicly traded Indian pharmaceutical giant, experienced a data breach. This time, the BianLian ransomware group exposed sensitive information on a dark web forum. On September 9th and 10th, Aarti Drugs and IPCA Laboratories were struck by ransomware, with BianLian hitting Aarti Drugs and the RansomHouse group targeting IPCA Laboratories.

Reports indicate that the data stolen from Aarti Drugs includes vital commercial and administrative records, such as loan agreements and tax documents. The BianLian group demanded 20 BTC (approximately Rs. 15.8 lakh) for the decryption key. Eventually, around 6 GB of this confidential data was sold on their dark web platform.

The RansomHouse gang breached IPCA Laboratories, stealing 500 GB of data that included employee records, formulation details, and financial reports. When ransom negotiations seemingly broke down, the group leaked 140 GB of this stolen data. Aarti Drugs Ltd, established in 1984 and a subsidiary of the Aarti Industries conglomerate, is a publicly listed company. Along with its affiliate, Pinnacle Life Science, Aarti Drugs generates over Rs. 620 crore annually, with a significant portion coming from the production of active pharmaceutical ingredients.