Cyber Fires Across the Subcontinent: India–Pakistan’s New Invisible Battlefield . The Cyber War Weapons used by the two nuclear nations.
- The DigitalBank Vault
- 2 days ago
- 5 min read
As artillery and drones tear across the Line of Control, a parallel war is raging online. In early May 2025, Indian airstrikes under “Operation Sindoor” triggered an immediate digital response: dozens of pro-Pakistan hacktivist groups launched waves of cyberattacks while Indian agencies scrambled to secure critical systems. The result is a two-front conflict – kinetic and cyber – with state-linked hackers and patriotic collectives trading blows. Experts warn this hybrid warfare could escalate into real-time assaults on infrastructure, disinformation campaigns, and military networks.
Executive Summary by the Encrygma Hacking Team :
Recent Cyber Operations
Hacktivist Surge After Airstrikes: Within 24 hours of India’s May 7 air raids, cybersecurity trackers observed a massive increase in distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks and website defacements on Indian targets. Peak activity occurred late May 7, with dozens of hourly incidents by groups such as AnonSec, Keymous+, and Islamic Hacker Army. Most attacks targeted Indian government, telecom, and finance websites.
Indian Counterattacks: Indian or allied hacktivists retaliated with DDoS attacks on Pakistan’s Ministry of Commerce, national emergency services, and telecoms. Government portals were taken offline for days, and large-scale DNS and NTP reflection floods overwhelmed critical infrastructure.
Defacements on Both Sides: Hackers defaced several official websites. The Pakistani “Pakistan Cyber Force” replaced India’s Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited (AVNL) site with propaganda, including Pakistani flags and images of tanks. They also claimed to have stolen sensitive data from India’s Military Engineer Services and a national defense think tank. In response, Indian-aligned groups defaced Pakistani sites and exfiltrated institutional data.
Preventive Measures: Indian stock exchanges temporarily blocked foreign IP access amid CERT-In warnings of imminent cyberattacks. Pakistani cybersecurity officials likewise issued alerts to financial institutions and government agencies, cautioning about scanning activity and potential breaches.
Cyber Weapons and Tools
DDoS Toolkits: The bulk of attacks involved DDoS. Hacktivists used both application-layer floods (slow POST, GET) and massive volumetric floods via NTP, DNS, and CLDAP amplification. Tools like MegaMedusa helped orchestrate botnets capable of generating high-intensity attacks. India’s POWERGRID and BSNL were among the entities hit with these techniques.
Malware and Remote Access Trojans: Beyond DDoS, espionage campaigns using malware were observed. Pakistani-linked groups deployed phishing emails embedded with Crimson RAT, targeting Indian officials using fake PDFs themed around the conflict. These backdoors allowed persistent access to compromised systems.
Data Theft and Psychological Ops: Several websites were defaced, and hackers posted taunts, imagery, and alleged stolen data dumps. For example, the AVNL defacement included claims of exfiltrating 10 GB of sensitive military data. These attacks aimed not only to disrupt but also to demoralize and sow distrust.
Targeting Infrastructure: Critical government systems like India’s UIDAI (Aadhaar) and Pakistan’s emergency response platforms were targeted. While no major power outages or telecom breakdowns have been confirmed, attacks on these services highlight a growing interest in hitting vital infrastructure.
Hackers and State-Sponsored Groups
Pakistani-Side Hackers: Groups such as Pakistan Cyber Force, RipperSec, and Mysterious Team Pakistan led many campaigns. Some international actors, including Iran-aligned and Bangladeshi hacktivists, expressed solidarity with Pakistan. State-linked advanced persistent threat (APT) groups like Transparent Tribe are believed to be conducting espionage behind the scenes.
Indian-Side Hackers: Indian hacker collectives like Indian Cyber Force, Cryptojackers of India, Dex4o4, and Ghost Force mounted retaliatory cyber strikes. Several also leveraged infrastructure in neighboring countries to amplify attacks. Indian cyber command and CERT-In teams are actively investigating breaches and defending key sectors.
Espionage Actors: While hacktivists generate headlines, APT groups remain active in the background. Pakistani cyber-intelligence groups have been targeting Indian government agencies with malware and phishing lures. Indian cyber operatives have similarly been accused of breaching sensitive networks in Pakistan and beyond.
Tactics and Techniques
Phishing and Credential Theft: Both sides use tailored phishing campaigns to breach official accounts. Common lures include conflict-themed PDFs and fake police or military portals. These are used to harvest credentials or drop malware.
Website Defacements: Hackers deface portals to spread propaganda and cause reputational damage. Examples include defacing India’s AVNL and Pakistan’s educational or municipal sites with nationalistic or threatening messages.
DDoS Attacks: These remain the primary method of disruption. Attackers use open DNS, NTP, or memcached servers to amplify floods. By combining low-and-slow techniques with brute volume, attackers can paralyze services for hours. Sites like India’s UIDAI and Pakistan’s commerce ministry have suffered prolonged outages.
Infrastructure Probing: Financial systems, telecoms, and public safety portals are increasingly being scanned and probed for weaknesses. Government agencies in both countries are on high alert.
Disinformation Campaigns: The cyber conflict includes coordinated misinformation. Fake casualty lists, tampered videos, and false outage reports (such as claims about power grid failures) have circulated online. Both governments have deployed fact-checkers to counter these psychological operations.
Historical Context
A Longstanding Digital Rivalry: India and Pakistan have a long history of cyber skirmishes, mostly low-grade hacks and website defacements linked to flare-ups in Kashmir or diplomatic disputes. Hacktivists often target each other’s educational institutions, government portals, and media sites during high-tension periods.
Notable Past Campaigns: In 2024, multiple phishing and malware campaigns targeted Indian defense and energy sectors, traced to suspected Pakistani actors. Indian groups have also conducted retaliatory strikes, occasionally exfiltrating sensitive data or disrupting communications.
Information Warfare Trends: Disinformation is not new in this rivalry. Previous crises saw rumors about ATMs being shut down or military bases being hacked – most of which were later debunked. The current conflict has seen a sharp uptick in coordinated psychological operations on social media.
Escalating Stakes: While cyber skirmishes used to be peripheral, today’s campaigns are more aggressive, organized, and militarized. Hacktivist mobilization, state-linked APT activity, and the synchronization of kinetic and digital operations mark a new phase in Indo-Pak cyber conflict. The digital front is no longer symbolic – it's a real battlefield with real-world consequences.
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Disclaimer: This simulated assessment did not access live systems. Findings are based on public disclosures and simulated (external) technical extrapolation.
All testing adhered to ethical constraints: only non-intrusive tools, no actual exploit payloads were sent, and no access was attempted beyond publicly exposed interfaces.
Full Detailed Report (150 pages) , available on demand , contact us at Agents@DigitalBankVault.com
Costs € 8000 Euro.
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