Source: TNN
Sai Krishna stated that cyber attack can have a huge impact on pharma companies with zero or no cybersecurity, especially on small and medium-size units.
Only 5 to 10% of pharma companies in India have foolproof cybersecurity, said Sai Krishna, chairperson of Global Cyber Security Forum. The forum, in collaboration with Kenes Exhibitions, Israel, in support with Telangana government and Consulate General of Israel, is co-hosting a two-day Global Cyber Security conference in Hyderabad.
Sai Krishna stated that cyber attack can have a huge impact on pharma companies with zero or no cybersecurity, especially on small and medium-size units. “Keeping Hyderabad pharma hub in mind, we are also hosting an expert panel on data privacy and security to talk about Pharma 4.0, which is the way forward for over 600 plus pharma companies in Hyderabad. Currently, there is no policy to audit its cyber and data security system,” said Krishna.
According to Krishna, digital security practices for the industry has become critical in the recent past. Due to lack of proper data security and companies using outdated software, hackers can steal data and sensitive information from the R&D database. “If a company is researching and creating a particular medicine composition for years, a hacker can steal the data or formula and sell it in black market,” he said.
“Most companies are still running traditional machinery. The machinery responsible for manufacturing the drug is connected to computing systems. If the server of the manufacturing plant is hacked, not only the whole plant will be affected, there can be a malfunction in the critical functioning of the plant. The hacker can change the critical drug composition, which can be a huge threat. Current systems don’t have security control and visibility in place to immediately detect the attack and respond on a real-time basis,” he added.
According to the expert, most companies find out about the hack or data breach only after six to eight months of the attack.
