Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation website hacked, officials probe breach

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A suspected cyber attack allegedly targeted the official website of the Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation (UMC) on Saturday afternoon.

The breach occurred around 1.30 pm when unusual activity was detected on the municipal website. The message - bearing religious overtones and a hacking declaration - was prominently visible on the homepage, prompting immediate action from the civic body's IT department.

Shraddha Baviskar, head of the IT department, was alerted soon after the breach, and Municipal Commissioner Manisha Awhale was briefed. Awhale then ordered the technical team to take the website offline and initiate an inquiry on it.

Talking about it, Ajay Sable, the public relations officer, confirmed the attempted hack. "The website has been temporarily shut down and our technical team is conducting a thorough investigation. We will issue an official update shortly," he said.

While no data breach or system damage has been confirmed yet, the nature of the attack has raised alarms over the cyber security preparedness.

Awhale said, "This is a serious cyber incident. However, our IT team acted promptly and successfully thwarted the attempt. We urge the public not to fall for rumours and wait for verified updates. The corporation is fully alert on cybersecurity measures."

Officials have also advised citizens to remain cautious, avoid clicking unknown links, and refrain from sharing sensitive information on unverified websites.