Maharashtra's cyber department warns of an increase in cyberattacks and advises being alert.

People have been alerted by the Maharashtra Cyber Police to malware-infected files that target specific user devices.

Cyber News May 10, 2025 0 71 Add to Reading List

Maharashtra's cyber department warns of an increase in cyberattacks and advises being alert.

The Maharashtra State Cyber Department on Saturday, May 10, 2025, warned citizens to "be vigilant" when interacting with digital content or accessing documents from unverified sources due to the escalating tensions along the India-Pakistan border. This is because cyberattacks have increased since India launched "Operation Sindoor."

People have been alerted by the Maharashtra Cyber Police to malware-infected files that target specific user devices. The Additional Director General of Police office said, "These files are sent as government-related files so that the probability of engaging with the document is high. Once opened, can lead to data theft, system surveillance, or broader network compromise."

In light of the situation, the authorities have cautioned individuals against opening attachments from unidentified sources or clicking on unwanted links. Documents marked as government files should not be downloaded or opened by users before verifying the legitimacy of the source. Other requirements are to use current antivirus software, regular system scans, secure login methods, and two-factor authentication. The recent terrorist incident in Pahalgam, Kashmir, which claimed 26 lives, prompted the strategic countermeasure known as Operation Sindoor. In order to identify and take action against illegal internet activity, the Maharashtra State Cyber Department has started monitoring online platforms. In the process, the department has encountered "hostile" cyber entities that are engaging in cyberwarfare in retribution for Operation Sindoor.

The cyber-attacks, including Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks and digital defacement campaigns, have intensified from the other side, attacking infrastructure systems and government websites. These attacks are aimed at disrupting essential public services and undermining the credibility of government platforms,” as per the Maharashtra Cybercrime officials. DDoS attack targets a server or application with malicious traffic so that legitimate traffic is unable to access the website.