Since last week, India’s cyber infrastructure successfully defended itself against more than a dozen of attacks, primarily involving “denial of service” operations
In the midst of the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict, a surge in cyberattacks has taken centre stage, drawing focus to India. Pro-Palestine activists have targeted Indian government websites, accusing India of supporting Israel, which has triggered a tit-for-tat cyber battle.
Since last week, India’s cyber infrastructure successfully defended itself against more than a dozen of attacks, primarily involving “denial of service” operations. Shockingly, over 100 small websites are hacked daily, often belonging to modest non-profit organisations. These attacks intensified after India openly declared its support for Israel.
One group, “Ghosts of Palestine,” called upon hackers to target Israel and its allies, including India. Their Telegram channel reported that other organisations, such as “Libyan Ghosts,” joined in.
In retaliation, Indian cyber groups, allegedly with ties to the country, increased their attacks on Palestinian institutions. They targeted the Hamas website, the Palestinian National Bank, and the National Telecommunications Company. The Hamas website was reportedly offline for a significant period.
Moreover, they partnered with pro-Israel organisations like ThreatSec, accused of compromising the AlfaNet ISP in Gaza.
The Indian government bore the brunt of these attacks, with official websites of various agencies coming under fire. Some of the targeted websites included the Government of Punjab, NITI Aayog, Karnataka Bank, the Government of Haryana, and the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) income tax portal, among others. Hacker teams with names like “TIGER_CYBER_TEAM,” “MOROCCAN_BLACK_CYBER_ARMY,” “ACEH_ABOUT_HACKED_WORLD,” “TEAM_HEROX,” and “WaRGem_CYBER_TEAM” were identified as the perpetrators.
In response to the Hamas strike, Indian security forces heightened their vigilance, while cyber units geared up for further potential threats. The responsibility for preventing future attacks was assigned to CERT-IN and the DRDO’s cyber division.
Amidst the escalating cyber conflict, the Israel-Palestine conflict itself has seen Israel declaring war on Palestine officially. Tragically, the fighting has resulted in nearly 900 deaths in Israel and over 680 in Gaza, according to authorities on both sides. The violence has claimed over 1,500 lives, prompting urgent calls for an end to hostilities and the protection of civilians.
Israel further tightened its grip on Gaza, cutting off its water supply and imposing a complete siege. Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant emphasised the dire consequences for the 2.3 million citizens of Gaza, including “no electricity, no food, no water, no gas – it’s all closed.”
