Pakistan-backed cyberattack during Operation Sindoor foiled by Indian cyber forces

May 14, 2025 7:52 AM

As Indian armed forces executed Operation Sindoor, targeting terrorist hideouts across the western frontier, India simultaneously faced a massive, coordinated cyberattack. The cyber offensive, launched from Pakistan and six other countries, aimed to breach critical infrastructure and undermine national security. However, Indian cybersecurity agencies swiftly responded, neutralizing most of the threats in real-time.

While the military operation struck terrorist targets on the ground, the digital front saw India fighting a cyberwar that unfolded in parallel. Experts revealed that the cyberattacks were not random but a well-planned, multi-nation attempt involving Pakistan, Turkey, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Indonesia, and with covert support from China.

According to cyber forensics expert Pendiala Krishna Shastri, who has trained with Interpol, these cyberattacks were orchestrated by Pakistan-supported hacker groups. Their objective was to destabilize India’s economy, disrupt public services, and breach defense infrastructure. Key sectors such as defense manufacturing, MSME suppliers, ports, airports, railways, power grids, BSNL, UPI services, and digital wallets were targeted.

Despite the scale and ambition of the attack, India’s cyber defense proved highly resilient. Most attacks were identified and blocked before any damage could be done. A few systems experienced brief disruptions but were restored swiftly.

A Pakistani hacker group named “Habib 404” defaced several Indian government websites, including niws.nic.in and nationaltrust.nic.in, and placed a chilling message on the Central Coalfields Limited (CCL) website that read: “You thought you were safe, but we are here.” However, CCL’s spokesperson Alok Gupta confirmed that the website had been restored without any data loss and attributed the incident to a technical glitch, though no official confirmation of a hack has been provided.

This episode underlines both the growing threat of cyberwarfare and India’s advancing readiness to combat such intrusions. It also raises critical concerns about hostile nations leveraging digital platforms to attack India’s sovereignty and public morale during sensitive military operations.