Malware affects thousands of BSNL broadband modems in city

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, July 29,2017: Reports confirm BSNL broadband modems numbering more than 80,000 have become dysfunctional after a malware attack since last couple of days,  across the Karnataka Telecom Circle.

Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. (BSNL) is addressing the issue on a war footing. Customers across the State were unable to use Internet services, and their problem got worsened as BSNL employees were on a strike on July 27, Thursday.

According to R. Mani, chief general manager, BSNL, Karnataka Telecom Circle, modems supplied by three vendors — Syrma, Teracom and Supernet — have been affected. The malware attack came through the wide area network it is suspected.

Clarifying that the malware did not affect BSNL’s core network, he said instructions had been issued to all officials on procedure to rectify and reboot the modems. Some BSNL personnel were visiting homes of subscribers to address the problem, GM Mani told media and added the company was also working on strengthening the firewall system which has been breached by the attacker.

The malware affected those models supplied or sold by BSNL to its customers and not the ones bought by customers from outside. It is said that only those modems whose login credentials, username and password, were not changed from ‘admin’ to personal ones by customers were affected.

BSNL engineers have been working to reset the modems even as customers who want the modems immediately functional are brining them to telephone exchanges, said an official at a telephone exchange in Mangaluru who was resetting the modem of MP Nalin Kumar’s office.

However, engineers were perturbed by the fact that the modems that were reset developed problem again once they were put into action by users.