Tamil Nadu Cyber Crime Wing warns of rising cyberattack threat amid India-Pakistan tensions

New Delhi [India], May 10 (ANI): In the wake of the escalating conflicts between India and Pakistan, there is an elevated risk of cyberattacks, particularly from state-sponsored advanced persistent threats known for targeting Indian government agencies, military personnel, and critical infrastructure, said the Cyber Crime Wing of the Tamil Nadu Police in a release.
The release added that the group uses sophisticated tactics such as phishing emails, fake login pages, and malicious attachments to gain unauthorised access to sensitive information. Advisories regarding these threats have already been issued to all government departments in the State.
"In view of public interest and safety, the Cyber Crime Wing of the Tamil Nadu Police alerts the public about a recent surge in malicious content spreading rapidly through WhatsApp, e-Mail, and Social Media platforms with respect to Indo-Pak conflict," the release added.
This content includes deceptive videos, images,'.exe/.apk' files and phishing links disguised as news or updates related to the ongoing Indo-Pak conflict, the Cyber Crime Wing added in the release
"Threat actors are exploiting heightened public interest and tension around the situation to target unsuspecting individuals with malware, fake news, and cyber scams," the Cyber Crime Wing said.
Sharing details about the techniques, it further added that these cybercriminals are circulating malicious content under the pretext of exclusive updates, conflict-related visuals, or leaked footage, with many of these materials carrying malware, spyware, or links to phishing websites. This content can be in the form of links or even photographs sent from unknown numbers or forwarded in Whatsapp/Telegram/other social media groups, the Cyber Crime Wing added.
The Cyber Crime Wing suggested that for the updates on the Indo-Pak conflict, use only verified news channels and social media handles. Fact checkers can be used to avoid forwarding or downloading sensitive fake new, it added.
Be wary of messages or posts claiming to show sensitive or exclusive news on Indo-Pak conflicts, the release further added.
Sharing details on the ongoing tension between the two countries, Wing Commander Vyomika Singh confirmed that the Pakistan Army is moving troops towards forward areas.
Addressing a press briefing on Saturday, Singh said India has launched the retaliatory strikes after Pakistan attacked 26 locations across India. Intermittent firing is still going on at several places along the Line of Control.
Pakistan's retaliations come in the aftermath of India's Operation Sindoor, where the Indian armed forces targeted nine terror infrastructures in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on Wednesday. The operation was a direct response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. (ANI)