Recently, India has faced large-scale cyberattacks from Pakistan, affecting over 1700 servers and hundreds of critical infrastructures. However, regarding the rumors circulating on social media about India’s power grid experiences a 70% blackout, leaving vast regions in darkness and causing widespread chaos., Indian officials have emphasized that this information is false.
According to reports from Pakistan's cybersecurity department, this attack has been sustained and extensive, primarily targeting India's energy, transportation, telecommunications, defense, and government databases. The attack affected power grid control systems, wind farms, surveillance facilities, routers, as well as multiple official and corporate websites.
In terms of energy, the attackers successfully infiltrated 10 SCADA systems, disrupting power control operations and causing wind power installations in several regions of India to go offline, while users were unable to access the power payment platform. The transportation system was also significantly affected, with the data center systems of Indian Railways completely failing, leading to the wiping of server data for the Delhi Gas Company and the Kashmir Power Authority, which greatly impacted the daily commuting and energy supply for millions.
In terms of security measures, over 2,500 surveillance cameras have been hacked or disabled. One video shows the wreckage of a missile storage facility in Punjab province, labeled as the results of a Pakistani operation. Defense data has also been extensively leaked, including sensitive information from the Indian military, border forces, and the Election Commission. Prominent payment platform Paytm was similarly attacked, with the specific losses still being assessed.
In the face of an unstable situation, multiple media organizations have become targets for attacks, with the broadcasts of three major television channels in India being manipulated, leaving users unable to receive regular news updates. Over 110 corporate websites also experienced brief outages, including defense suppliers like Hindustan Aeronautics and Bharat Earth Movers.
As news spread, the comments from Pakistan's attack causes 70% of the power grid to shut down. quickly went viral on social media platforms. However, the official Press Information Bureau (PIB) of India quickly stepped in to debunk these rumors, stating that the power grid system is still operating normally and urging the public not to believe unfounded information.
The PIB further indicated that various accounts from Pakistan have been spreading misleading information recently, accompanied by images that create a sense of panic, intending to distort the situation. The Indian government has strengthened regulations on social media platforms and has reminded citizens to adhere to cybersecurity guidelines, urging them to stay vigilant and maintain rational judgment.
The backdrop of the renewed cyberattacks between India and Pakistan is linked to the escalation of political tensions following India's precise strikes on terrorist hideouts within Pakistan on April 22. Earlier, India's IT department had issued a security warning to the public, advising citizens to be cautious when clicking on unfamiliar links and to remain calm in the face of information circulating online.
