C-Edge connectivity re-established, services of banks fully restored after ransomware attack: NPCI

NPCI also said the ransomware incident was limited to C-Edge's systems hosted in their data center, with no impact on the infrastructure of cooperative banks or regional rural banks.

The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) announced on August 1 that connectivity with C-Edge Technologies Ltd, a technology service provider that caters mostly to cooperative and regional rural banks, has been re-established following a thorough security review by an independent forensic auditing firm.

It said the investigation confirmed that the ransomware attack was contained effectively, with C-Edge successfully isolating the impacted systems to prevent further spread.

NPCI further stated that the security review ensured that the remainder of the infrastructure is secure and free from any threats. It also said the ransomware incident was limited to C-Edge's systems hosted in their data centre, with no impact on the infrastructure of cooperative banks or regional rural banks.

NPCI also said as a result of the resolution, services for cooperative banks and regional rural banks that rely on C-Edge have been fully restored, and these banks are now able to offer their complete range of services to customers seamlessly, as they did prior to the incident.

On July 31, 2024, NPCI had temporarily isolated C-Edge Technologies from accessing its retail payment systems to prevent a broader impact on the payment ecosystem. Nearly 300 small banks have been reportedly disconnected from the national payment network to prevent a broader impact. This isolation led to a temporary disruption in payment services for customers of banks serviced by C-Edge.

About NPCI:

NPCI was established in 2008 as the umbrella organization for managing retail payments and settlement systems in India. It has developed a payment and settlement infrastructure that has transformed payment methods in the country. It offers a range of retail payment products, including the RuPay card, Immediate Payment Service (IMPS), Unified Payments Interface (UPI), Bharat Interface for Money (BHIM), Aadhaar Enabled Payment System (AePS), National Electronic Toll Collection (NETC), and Bharat BillPay.