Govt ramps up cyber vigilance on critical infrastructure after Operation Sindoor

Particular attention is being paid to vulnerabilities across sectors like energy, defence manufacturing, telecommunications, and transport,

India has ramped up cyber surveillance of its critical infrastructure following the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam and Operation Sindoor, a cross-border offensive targeting locations in Pakistan, sources familiar with the matter said.

Particular attention is being paid to ensure that proper cybersecurity practices are being maintained in sensitive industries and strategic assets, and installations.

Authorities are paying closer attention to digital threats against strategic sectors such as energy, defence manufacturing, telecommunications and transport, the people said.

For instance, in 2023, a massive ransomware attack on the hospital-cum-medical institution AIIMS rendered its entire digital operations inaccessible. Similarly, in 2021, the government reported that the Chinese military had infiltrated the networks of seven power grids in northern India.

More recently, following the Pahalgam attack, reports indicated that several defence websites had been targeted and defaced.

While no specific breach has been publicly disclosed, government sources said that multiple attempts at unauthorised access have been thwarted in recent weeks.

Meanwhile, cybersecurity researchers at Seqrite Labs claimed to have uncovered fresh evidence linking the Pakistan-based APT group Transparent Tribe (APT36) to a campaign exploiting the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack as a phishing lure.

According to Seqrite, the group crafted PDF documents themed around government response measures, designed to steal credentials from Indian government and defence personnel.

The documents, with names like “Action Points & Response by Govt Regarding Pahalgam Terror Attack.pdf,” led users to spoofed domains mimicking legitimate Indian government sites—such as a fake Jammu & Kashmir Police URL hosted on a malicious subdomain.