Over 15 lakh cyber attacks on key sites by Pak hackers after Pahalgam attack

New Delhi: Indian cyber agencies have linked seven Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) groups to a wave of over 15 lakh cyber attacks targeting critical infrastructure websites nationwide following the Pahalgam terror attack, officials reported on Tuesday.

According to the officials, several Pakistani Intelligence Operatives (PIOs) were also involved in attempting to infiltrate the mobile devices of Indian defence personnel and journalists using malware identified as ‘Dance Of Hillary’ and ‘Calls From Military’.

Out of the massive number of attack attempts, only 150 were reportedly successful. The cyber threats are believed to have originated primarily from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and parts of the Middle East, TNIE reported.

A senior official noted that cyber attacks on Indian government websites declined after an agreement on no fire from either side between India and Pakistan, though they have not completely ceased.

These attacks continue to originate from countries such as Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Morocco, and various Middle Eastern nations.

Providing further insight, officials explained that the attacks involved malware campaigns, including Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks and GPS spoofing. There were also instances of Indian websites being defaced. However, many of these attempts were successfully blocked, safeguarding the country’s critical infrastructure, they added.