‘Know More’ About Cyber Attacks in Times of Conflict
There were 15 lakh cyber-attacks against Indian websites after the Pahalgam strike, experts ask netizens to be cautious before clicking the “Know More” button
The recent conflict between India and Pakistan may have come to a standstill, but there is an army of scamsters lurking in cyberspace, enticing innocent people and duping them. From college websites being hacked to click-bait messages to ‘Know More’ about the latest India-Pakistan conflict, waves of disinformation continue to hit people at large. Hackers have grown smarter. They no longer just feed on your data, they also feed on your fear.
Cyber-War Times
“During high-tension like the Indo-Pak conflict, cyber scamsters actively exploit the public’s hunger for real-time updates,” says Nitin Pandey, Global Cybersecurity Expert & Senior Cybercrime Investigator and Forensics. Nitin explains how hackers get innovative in their ways and craft sensational headlines and ‘Breaking News’ messages to serve as bait. Most individuals fall for these dubious messages as they look like official media reports.
Himanshu Yadav, Cybersecurity Researcher & Founder of Hackind-Tech from Delhi shares that there were around 15 lakh cyber-attacks that were launched against Indian websites. He opines that conflict times are seen as the new ‘frontline’ for hackers where they are all geared up to launch a brutal cyber warfare. Himanshu says, “The good news is that around 99.99% of these attacks were blocked.”
Some state governments officially announced cautionary data. For instance, the Maharashtra Cyber officials had revealed that 15 lakh cyber-attacks were carried out after April 22 (Pahalgam terror attack). Out of the 15 lakh cyber-attacks, only 150 proved successful. Thanks to an improved digital infrastructure and other proactive defence mechanisms.
However, what’s thought provoking is the sheer volume of these attacks. Himanshu opines such attacks during times of conflict rise above and beyond just being cyber-attacks. He quips, “What we are witnessing is a full-blown cyberwar!”
Modus Operandi
Experts from strategic affairs and members of Defence think-tanks cautioned individuals of the new-age warfare in terms of cyber-attacks and misinformation. Social media platforms end up being vulnerable hotspots. Himanshu explains that the modus operandi for these hackers could be from causing panic by pushing fake alerts, malware payloads to denial of online services (again, to cause commotion). “Sometimes it’s also about stealing data or simply overloading a server or network with traffic so that it becomes unavailable to users,” explains Himanshu. The mantra of these hackers seems to be cruel yet plain- cause chaos for chaos’ sake.
The Fear Game
Hackers don’t just hack your data; they attack minds. They spread fear, confusion and anxiousness among people in times of conflicts, wars and natural catastrophes. Messages like ‘Urgent Security Update’ or ‘Your Account Is Compromised’ are all tailored to trigger panic and chaos.
Himanshu cautions that common tactics include impersonating armed forces and circulating fake video forwards on social media. These messages come with links asking for personal details under the guise of national security. Himanshu adds, “Hacker’s prey on patriotism, urgency and the trust that individuals have in authorities.”
Nitin opines that it’s not just hackers but other stakeholders at work too. He says, "Some media outlets rush to publish information without fact-checking,” Such info-dumps only result in panic and worry.
Mental Immunity
“Attacks today are more psychologically driven” says Nirali Bhatia, a Cyber Psychologist & Psychotherapist, Founder of CYBERB.A.A.P. Nirali shares that during geo-political tensions, the emotions felt by citizens are high. She says, “Hackers create such emotionally reactive situations which bypasses and blurs lines of logical reasoning.” Nirali cautions, “People need to realize that hackers use fear to induce a fight or flight mechanism in us.” In times of fear and vulnerability, individuals sadly fall prey to hackers and give them personal information including bank account details.
Reality Checks
The best tool to break free from such mental manipulations could possibly be to pause so you think logically and act responsibly. Other ways could be to do a quick fact-check to cross-verify. Nirali says the ‘P-O-V notion’ of Pause-Zero Trust & Verify. You start by taking a pause, having no blind trust on random bites of information and you finally have it verified.
Himanshu advises people to use unique passwords for sensitive data like personal information and bank details. “Use strong, unique passwords not your birthdate or the typical 123456.” Enable two-factor authentication too. While conflicts have taken a step back, perhaps it's time to gear ourselves better in the digital landscape!
