While India was engaged in Operation Sindoor, 6 nations carried out cyber warfare

As India’s military forces engaged hostile threats on the western front during Operation Sindoor, the country also found itself under siege in cyberspace. A coordinated wave of cyberattacks, reportedly launched by state-supported hackers and hacktivist groups from Pakistan, Turkiye, Bangladesh, Malaysia, and Indonesia—allegedly backed by China—targeted multiple critical sectors across India.

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Cybersecurity analysts revealed that the attacks aimed to compromise India’s strategic infrastructure and extract sensitive defence data. Among the most targeted were defence PSUs, their small and medium enterprise partners, and vital infrastructure assets such as ports, airports, power grids, and transport networks including Indian Railways and airlines.

Telecom operators like BSNL, financial platforms including UPI and digital wallets, stock exchanges, and large infrastructure-driven Indian conglomerates also came under digital fire. The attackers employed various methods including malware, phishing, and denial-of-service (DoS) attacks, focusing on weakening India’s cybersecurity posture and tarnishing its global image.

Defacements of Indian government websites, including niws.nic.in and nationaltrust.nic.in, too place, both of which were later restored. Another high-profile incident involved the Central Coalfields Ltd (CCL) website, which was temporarily disrupted with a threatening message allegedly linked to a Pakistani cyber group. However, officials have not formally confirmed a hacking attempt, citing a technical glitch.

The events highlight growing cyber vulnerabilities in India’s digital landscape during geopolitical crises.