Amid rising tensions between India and Pakistan, several cyberattacks were launched by a group named ‘IOK Hacker.’ The websites of two Army Public Schools, the Army Welfare Housing Organisation database, and the Indian Air Force Placement Organisation were targeted. The attackers aimed to deface pages, disrupt services, and steal personal data, but were swiftly countered. Intelligence confirmed the attacks originated from Pakistan, though Indian cyberdefenses effectively isolated and neutralized the threats.
The cyberattacks included distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks on the Srinagar Army Public School website, as well as defacement efforts on the websites of other institutions. An attempted breach of the Army Welfare Housing Organisation database and the Indian Air Force Placement Organisation portal was also detected.
Despite these efforts, no classified or operational systems were compromised, and no significant damage occurred.
Indian authorities noted that these attacks were likely retaliatory after Pakistan’s national networks proved impenetrable. The cyber intrusions were identified and halted by India’s layered cybersecurity system in real time. Intelligence assessments traced the attacks to the Pakistan-based ‘Internet of Khilafah’ group, revealing both the adversary’s persistence and their limitations in breaching secure networks.
These cyberattacks occurred amid ongoing geopolitical tensions between the two countries, which were exacerbated by a recent terror attack in Pahalgam. The situation on the Line of Control (LoC) remains volatile, with reports of small arms fire and the redeployment of Pakistani military forces. This heightened environment has contributed to an increase in social media-driven propaganda.
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