Even after diplomatic efforts led to a cessation of military hostilities between India and Pakistan, Indian cyber infrastructure remains under relentless attack from across the border. According to Maharashtra Cyber, these cyber offensives are not just continuing from Pakistan, but also originating from Bangladesh, Indonesia, Morocco, and Middle Eastern countries.
Speaking to the media, Yashasvi Yadav, Additional Director General of Police, Maharashtra Cyber, revealed that although the frequency of attacks reduced after the ceasefire, they have not stopped entirely. A total of 1.5 million cyberattacks were recorded, with 150 successful breaches, many of which targeted government and municipal websites.
These findings were outlined in a detailed report titled “Road of Sindoor”, which has been submitted to national law enforcement bodies including the Director General of Police and the State Intelligence Department.
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APT 36, Team Insane PK Among Seven Hacker Groups Identified
The report identifies seven major hacking groups behind the large-scale cyber assault. These include:
- APT 36 (Pakistan-based)
- Pakistan Cyber Force
- Team Insane PK
- Mysterious Bangladesh
- Indo Hacks Sec
- Cyber Group HOAX 1337
- National Cyber Crew
These state-sponsored and affiliated groups employed a wide range of attack vectors, including:
- Malware campaigns
- Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks
- GPS spoofing
- Website defacement
Among the successful breaches were the Kulgaon Badlapur Municipal Council and the Defence Nursing College in Jalandhar, whose websites were defaced. Attackers also claimed to have stolen sensitive data from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) and several telecom companies, with portions of the data allegedly surfacing on the darknet.
However, senior officials have debunked rumors that Indian aviation and municipal systems were compromised to the extent portrayed on social media.
Misinformation as a Weapon: Hybrid Warfare and Fake Narratives
A key component of this cyber warfare campaign is misinformation and fake news. According to Yadav, these Pakistan-allied groups are not only attacking infrastructure but also launching hybrid information warfare through false narratives aimed at disrupting public trust and institutional credibility.
False claims circulated online included:
- Hacking of India’s banking systems
- Nationwide power outages
- Satellite jamming
- Disruption of India’s Northern Command
- A cyber attack on a BrahMos missile storage facility
Maharashtra Cyber reported removing over 5,000 instances of fake content related to Indo-Pak tensions from social media. Of 80 flagged misinformation cases, 35 have been taken down, while 45 remain pending with platform providers.
Citizens have been urged to rely only on verified sources and refrain from spreading unverified content, as cyber-psychological warfare becomes a central tool in cross-border hostilities.