JNPT hit by cyberattack, many ships stranded at sea

A suspected cyberattack of the management information system (MIS) has crippled the container terminal run by the state-owned port authority at Jawaharlal Nehru Port since Monday. The port authorities are currently working to restore the critical operating systems. The port authorities has said that the situation has forced the Jawaharlal Nehru Container Terminal (JNPCT) to divert one container ship to other terminals at the port located near Mumbai. Cyberattacks are increasingly becoming an issue of concern in the maritime industry. Jawaharlal Nehru Port is India’s busiest state-owned container gateway. The working class at the JNPT is demanding a thorough inquiry into the incident as crores of rupees have been lost to the JNPT port due to foreign ships getting stuck in the sea. The officials informed that the attack is extremely severe that all automatic operations have come to a prolonged pause. With the computer shut down, it's time for the terminal staff to carry paper and pen.

Overall, due to the cyber attack on JNPT's container terminal, many ships in JNPT's container terminal are stranded at sea. Besides it has caused traffic congestion in the JNPT area. Its impact is being felt on passenger vehicles as well. JNPT is situated at Uran taluka in Raigad district of Maharashtra, a short distance from the city of Navi Mumbai and Mumbai, has already privatized four terminals namely Nhava Sheva International Container Terminal, Gateway Terminals India, Nhava Sheva International Gateway Terminal and the newly launched Bharat Mumbai Container Terminals. The process of privatizing the remaining only container terminal owned by JNPT has also been initiated by the Central Government's Shipping Department. Commissioned in 1989, JNPT is connected to more than 200 ports globally and currently runs five container terminals.