The Indian government hacked! The news looks like something out of a movie, but hacktivist groups have allegedly attacked several Indian government portals. Among the groups, the newly formed “Operation India” has listed some of its targets, including the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board, the Ease of Doing Business Portal of the Mizoram government, the RAMP portal of the MSME department, the National Health Mission, Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, Karnataka Police Academy, and the SILK initiative of the government.
In a post on the threat actor’s dark web forum, “Operation India” posted a message warning India about international hackers targeting the country. The account name used was “Operation India,” The Indian government hacked post said that the hackers were targeting India not because of negative things but to defend the truth. The recent hacking attempts have raised concerns about the security of Indian government portals. However, as of now, all the sites listed by “Operation India” are active.
The Indian government hacked! Major government portals at risk
Hacktivist groups are known for their cyber attacks on various targets for various reasons. The primary motive behind these attacks is to expose the weaknesses in the security system or to protest against government policies or actions.
The attacks often involve exploiting software vulnerabilities or stealing confidential information to cause disruption and embarrassment to the targeted organizations. In the latest claim by a relatively new threat actor called “Operation India,” these are some Indian government portals that have been allegedly hacked!
Tamil Nadu Electricity Board hacked
The first major department in Indian government hacked incidents began in Tamil Nadu. The Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB) is a government-owned electricity board responsible for generating and distributing electricity in Tamil Nadu. As a government agency, TNEB holds a vast amount of sensitive information about its customers, employees, and infrastructure. Hence, ensuring the security of this information is crucial to prevent unauthorized access and data breaches. If the claim made by the threat actor is true, the State of Tamil Nadu could fall into serious danger, especially for its residents.
National Health Mission hacked
The National Health Mission (NHM) is a flagship initiative launched by the Government of India in 2013 to provide accessible, affordable, and quality healthcare to all citizens, especially those in rural and remote areas. The mission aims to achieve universal health coverage, including primary healthcare, maternal and child healthcare, and disease control and prevention. The NHM is implemented by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, in collaboration with state governments, and is funded by both the central and state governments. The NHM data could be used for personalized threats by other threat actors, and since the initiative has thousands of users, an data breach of the initiative will put those individuals at great danger.
Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts Hacked
The Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) is a government institution that promotes and conserves India’s cultural heritage. A successful hacking attempt on the IGNCA could have dire consequences for the institution and the cultural heritage it seeks to safeguard.
If the IGNCA is hacked, it could result in the loss or theft of valuable digital assets, such as digitized manuscripts, photographs, and audio-visual recordings. These artifacts hold immense cultural and historical significance and cannot be replaced. Losing them could lead to a substantial loss of cultural heritage.
Karnataka Police Academy Hacked
The Karnataka Police Academy (KPA) is a premier institution in India dedicated to providing quality training to police personnel. It is located in Mysuru, Karnataka, and operates under the aegis of the Karnataka Police Department.
If the Karnataka Police Academy (KPA) were to be hacked, it could have serious implications for the academy’s operations and the state of Karnataka’s law enforcement.
SILK initiative Hacked
The SILK initiative is a program launched by the Indian government to promote the development of the silk industry in India. SILK is an acronym for “Scheme for Integrated Textile Parks for Silk.”
The objective of the SILK initiative is to encourage the establishment of modern and integrated textile parks, which will provide all the necessary facilities and infrastructure for the production of silk textiles. The initiative also aims to promote employment opportunities in the silk industry and to create a sustainable silk ecosystem in India.
If the claims made by the threat actor are true, even to some degree, the SILK initiative will suffer great losses. One of the biggest concerns of a hack would be the potential loss of confidential data related to the initiative. This data could include sensitive information about silk production, trade secrets, financial information, and other important data related to the silk industry. The loss of such data could put the Indian silk industry at risk, negatively impacting the economy.
The Indian government hacked! The conclusion
In recent years, Indian government portals have become targets of cyber attacks. According to Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) report, in the year 2022, there was a decrease in the number of reported cyberattacks, with figures dropping from 14.02 Lakhs in 2021.
According to government statistics on Indian government hacked, the year 2018 saw 2.08 Lakh reported incidents, followed by 3.94 Lakh attacks in 2019 and a whopping 11.58 Lakh cybersecurity incidents reported to CERT-In in 2020. These incidents included phishing attacks, website hacking, and ransomware attacks.
The rise in cyber attacks has raised concerns about the security of sensitive information held by government agencies. The government has taken steps to improve the safety of its digital infrastructure. However, the recent attack on the government portals has exposed the vulnerabilities in the system.
In conclusion to the news of the Indian government hacked, the recent cyber attacks on government portals have raised concerns about the security of sensitive information. Hacktivist groups like “Operation India” are targeting these portals to expose the weaknesses in the security system or to protest against government policies or actions. The government needs to take steps to improve the security of its digital infrastructure to prevent such attacks in the future.