During Op Sindoor, Pro-Indian Hackers Protected the Country Against Cross-Border Cyberattacks
During Op Sindoor, Pro-Indian Hackers Protected the Country Against Cross-Border Cyberattacks
“Cybersecurity experts are protecting the Country against Cross-Border Cyberattacks done by Pakistani Cybercriminals.”
Craw Security comes again with cybersecurity news today. In the latest cybersecurity news, we are informing all Indians that recent cybersecurity news has Pakistan in all headlines, and stating their many cyberattacks were started by them.
Today’s cybersecurity news shows a positive sign of relief for us as cybersecurity professionals protect our confidential data against criminals’ malicious attacks. Let’s find out what the real scenario was and what really happened.
Hacktivist groups with political, social, and religious motivations from Pakistan, Turkey, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Indonesia, and even Iran attempted to infiltrate India’s cyberspace when the nation was attacked by Pakistani drones, missiles, and artillery during Operation Sindoor, which was launched in response to the Pahalgam terror attack.
Pro-Indian hacker and hacktivist groups worked around the clock to defend the nation’s cyber front against pro-Pakistan hacker and hacktivist groups like APT36 (Transparent Tribe), Team Insane PK, SideCopy, AnonSec, Keymous+, Mr. Hamza, Anonymous VNLBN, Arabian Hosts, Islamic Hacker Army, Sylhet Gang, Red Wolf Cyber, and Iranian groups like Vulture.
According to sources who spoke to TOI, ardent Indian hacker and hacktivist organizations like the Indian Cyber Force (ICF), Indian Cyber Defender, WhiteHorse, Cyber Warriors India, AnonOpsIndia, Kerala Cyber Warriors, Kerala Cyber Xtractors, and Unknown Cyber Cult, to mention a few, used their own cyberwarfare tactics to oppose the enemy.
Indian Cyber Expert
| “Indian groups too mounted attacks such as DDoS, spear phishing, ransomware, and persistence to exploit the backdoor vulnerabilities in enemy systems, as well as social engineering attacks, among others,” said an Indian cyber expert, who declined to be identified.
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Groups like Indian Cyber Force (ICF), Kerala Cyber Xtractors, and Indian Cyber Defender were among the most active and vocal on social media, posting about their successes in breaking into enemy networks while Operation Sindoor was still in full force.
By breaching the IRIS portal of the Federal Board of Revenue of Pakistan, the employee portal of Pakistan’s biggest bank, Habib Bank Ltd., and Pakistan Islamia University, located in Bahawalpur, the Indian Cyber Force claimed to have exposed all of the names on their databases, along with phone numbers, residential addresses, and tax records. They also claimed to have been successful in shutting down their systems following the breach.
Additionally, ICF asserted that it has compromised more than 1,000 CCTV cameras of Pakistan’s government buildings, industrial areas, private businesses, banks, and educational institutions under its jurisdiction.
Among other exploits, Kerala Cyber Xtractors claimed to have hacked and exposed Pakistan’s NADRA (National Database and Registration Authority) user data, vandalized the Pakistan Ordnance Factory website, and taken down the websites of the airports in Karachi and Islamabad.
In contrast, Unknown Cyber Cult declared in March of this year that they were permanently closing, made the decision to make a resurgence during Operation Sindoor, and revealed that they had breached Pakistan’s logistics management information system.
The railway land management computer systems in Pakistan were allegedly breached by 7 Proxies Squad, another pro-Indian cyber collective.
The majority, however, favored working in secret, quietly protecting the nation while eroding enemy defenses.
Another Source
| “The HR management systems, procurement systems of the Pakistani govt, military, and civilians, mail servers, and database servers of the government and quasi-govt organizations, as well as private players, were all targeted,” said another source, who is part of an Indian hacker group. |
Col. Nidhish Bhatnagar, a cybersecurity expert and veteran of the armed forces, pointed to the fast-evolving nature of warfare and shifting battlefields, saying that the enemy no longer wears uniforms or launches attacks across national lines.
Col Bhatnagar
| “The enemy today is cloaked in digital deception and attacks you through code. It manipulates minds, cripples critical systems, and erodes morale without firing a single bullet. This is the new theater of war where psychological manipulation, digital subversion, and algorithmic attacks precede kinetic action,” Col Bhatnagar said.
“The operation showcased strategic coordination, real-time intelligence, and dominance not just in air and ground, but in cyberspace, where the battle for control now begins. We struck not just physical targets but also neutralized hostile command structures, crippled communication networks, exposed disinformation campaigns, and disrupted critical infrastructure. The intent was clearly to paralyze the adversary’s capacity before they could mobilize it,” Col Bhatnagar said.
“If we fail to defend our digital frontlines with the same resolve as our physical borders, we risk losing the war before it even begins,” said Col Bhatnagar, calling for India to have its own dedicated group like Israel’s Unit 8200 that specializes in cyberwarfare, surveillance, counterintelligence, and clandestine operations. |
Additionally, he described India’s multifront Operation Sindoor as a textbook in modern warfare.
However, given that other countries like China have access to a massive cyber force, we require a larger army of cyber warriors.
Dr Prasad Patibandla, Director, Research & Operations, (CRCIDF)
| “India has just around 20,000 certified cybersecurity professionals vis-a-vis China’s around 1 lakh,” said Dr Prasad Patibandla, director of Research & Operations at the Centre for Research on Cyber Intelligence and Digital Forensics (CRCIDF) and digital forensic expert.
“After the Pahalgam incident on April 22, 2025, when Pakistan launched 1.5 million cyberattacks, including DDoS attacks, made 10 SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) compromises in the energy sector, and 1,744 web server wipes,” he said.
Suggesting a holistic approach, Dr Patibandla said, “Policy reforms — unified strategy, counter-narrative units, and PPPs (public-private partnerships) — combined with increased funding and training, can elevate India to a second-tier cyber power by 2030. Without these, India risks being a soft target in an era where cyberattacks are as critical as kinetic strikes.”
“India’s cyber warfare readiness is evolving but remains outpaced by adversaries like China and Pakistan, who exploit its fragmented policies, defensive focus, and infrastructure vulnerabilities. High-profile incidents like the 2020 Mumbai outage and 2022 AIIMS attack underscore the need for advanced technologies like AI, zero-trust, quantum cryptography, and a robust offensive doctrine,” said Dr Patibandla.
Even during Op Sindoor, he pointed out how “Chinese-backed groups amplified the campaign with disinformation, falsely claiming 70% of India’s power grid was disabled. India’s decentralized cyber response and lack of offensive counterstrikes allowed adversaries to dominate the narrative and operational tempo.”
“India needs around 3 million cyber experts by 2030 and next-gen tools like quantum cryptography. China’s $15 billion annual cyber budget currently supports a 1 lakh-strong hacker ecosystem,” Dr Patibandla said. |
All of the cyber specialists emphasized how urgently India has to strengthen its cybersecurity defenses and readiness.
Suhas Gopinath, CEO, Globals
| “The wide range of cyberattacks attempted by state-sponsored and pro-Pakistani hackers and hacktivist groups mounted during Operation Sindoor highlights the evolving sophistication of cross-border cyber threats that our defense systems must continuously counter,” said Suhas Gopinath, CEO, Globals, a cybersecurity and threat intelligence company. |
Manish Yadav of the Center for Research on Cyber Intelligence and Digital Forensics, who advocates for a more aggressive approach, noted that the Indian government has so far only taken a defensive stance in cyberwarfare but may alter its approach to allow for the possibility of online surgical strikes in the future if necessary.
According to experts, India must also implement critical technologies on a war footing to increase its preparedness for cyberwarfare.
To address this, Dr. Patibandla suggested increasing cybersecurity funding from 0.1% of GDP, or Rs 759 crore, to about 1% of GDP. This would enable the training of 1 lakh cyber specialists by 2030 through initiatives like the National Cyber Security Scholarship.
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Suraj Koli is a content specialist in technical writing about cybersecurity & information security. He has written many amazing articles related to cybersecurity concepts, with the latest trends in cyber awareness and ethical hacking. Find out more about “Him.”
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