1.5 Million Indian Websites Targeted by Pakistani Hackers After Operation Sindoor: Report

In a major escalation of cyber warfare following Operation Sindoor, Pakistani hackers reportedly attempted to breach over 1.5 million Indian websites. According to Indian authorities, these attacks came in response to the recent terror incident in Pahalgam.

The report, published by India’s Maharashtra Cyber unit, claims that seven Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) groups were involved in the cyber onslaught, targeting critical infrastructure and government systems.

Despite the scale of the operation, the report notes a minimal success rate—only 150 of the 1.5 million attempted attacks were successful, translating to a success rate of just 0.01%. This suggests that while the intent and coordination were significant, the actual impact was limited.

The APT groups identified in the report include:

• APT 36

• Pakistan Cyber Force

• Team Insane PK

• Mysterious Bangladesh

• Indo Hacks Sec

• Cyber Group HOAX 1337

• National Cyber Crew

The cyber threats were not limited to Pakistan alone. According to Yashasvi Yadav, Additional Director General of Police at Maharashtra Cyber, several attack origins were traced back to Bangladesh, Indonesia, and parts of the Middle East as well.

Interestingly, the digital offensive reportedly continued even after Pakistan and India reached a ceasefire understanding, with Indian government portals experiencing repeated disruptions in the days that followed.

The incident highlights the rising role of cyber warfare in regional conflicts and the need for stronger cybersecurity frameworks across South Asia.

Yadav stated that while cyberattacks on Indian government websites declined following the ceasefire between India and Pakistan, they did not come to a complete halt. Malicious activity continues to originate from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Morocco, and several countries in the Middle East.

The investigation revealed that the hackers employed a range of techniques, including Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks and GPS spoofing, to disrupt and deface Indian websites. However, most of these attempts were unsuccessful, and India’s critical infrastructure remained largely unaffected.