Cyber Clash Escalates Amid Kashmir Conflict
Following a deadly terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Indian-administered Kashmir, on April 22, 2025, which left 26 people dead, tensions between India and Pakistan have sharply intensified. In the wake of this incident, hacktivist groups from both nations have launched a barrage of cyberattacks, effectively transforming the geopolitical conflict into a full-fledged online war. A confidential report by Google Cloud and Mandiant has revealed the details of this escalating cyber confrontation.
According to the report, pro-India hacktivist groups Desk404 and Indian Cyber Force have conducted Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks targeting Pakistani government websites, financial institutions, and defense networks. These operations have been dubbed "Operation Payback" by the groups.
Conversely, pro-Pakistan groups such as Team Insane PK, Ghosts of Gaza, and AnonPioneers have carried out a series of attacks on India's healthcare sector, educational institutions, government portals, and commercial websites.
Interestingly, some hacktivist groups have been accused of misrepresenting publicly available data as cyber breaches. For instance, a group named Team Azrael reportedly collected publicly accessible data from India’s Ministry of External Affairs website and posted it as a leak, though it did not result from any actual hacking.
The cyber conflict has also drawn in hacktivist groups from other countries. Groups like Jakarta Cyber White (Indonesia), The Anonymous 71 (Bangladesh), and Akatsuki Cyber Team (pro-Palestine) have joined in with attacks against Indian digital assets.
Experts have warned that the cyber war poses a serious threat to the critical digital infrastructure of both countries. Incidents of data leaks, website defacements, and server outages are disrupting public services and daily life. With the conflict spreading rapidly across social media and Telegram channels, the situation is becoming increasingly volatile.
Currently, no peaceful resolution is in sight. There are growing concerns that hacktivist activity on both sides may intensify further in the coming weeks.
