In the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack, India faced an unprecedented barrage of cyber intrusions from hostile hacker groups based in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, and parts of the Middle East. The Maharashtra Cyber Cell, through an intensive investigation, revealed that more than 1.5 million attacks were launched on Indian websites and digital infrastructure. These were not mere isolated phishing attempts; they were coordinated cyber offensives meant to disrupt, damage, and demoralize.

According to the official report titled "Road of Sindoor", the attacks were launched in retaliation to India's military action under the same name. The operations targeted government portals, aviation systems, municipal data, and critical infrastructure hubs. Despite the staggering number of attempts, only 150 attacks were marginally successful, yielding a dismal success rate of 0.01%. The failure highlights both the resilience of India's cyber defense posture and the poor capabilities of these foreign adversaries.

Seven hacking groups were identified in the Maharashtra Cyber report:

• APT 36
• Pakistan Cyber Force
• Team Insane PK
• Mysterious Bangladesh
• Indo Hacks Sec
• Cyber Group HOAX 1337
• National Cyber Crew (Pakistan-allied)

These entities were behind coordinated campaigns involving DDoS attacks, malware injections, GPS spoofing, and the defacement of selected Indian portals. One of the notable defacements occurred on the Kulgaon Badlapur Municipal Council's website, while false claims surfaced about breaches into Mumbai airport systems and telecom data thefts.

More alarming was the use of misinformation as a cyber weapon. These groups pushed narratives falsely suggesting they had compromised India's banking networks and even caused power grid failures and satellite jamming—none of which were substantiated. Over 5,000 fake posts related to India-Pakistan conflict were found and removed across social media.

Despite an ongoing ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan, the digital warfare persisted. The report underscores how the attacks, though mostly thwarted, continued from countries like Bangladesh, Indonesia, and Middle Eastern allies of Pakistan.

Maharashtra Cyber officials clarified that while the intensity of cyberattacks dropped post-ceasefire, it didn't completely stop. State intelligence agencies are working alongside national cybersecurity teams to continuously monitor and pre-empt such intrusions.

The report has been submitted to all major law enforcement and intelligence bodies including the Director General of Police and the State Intelligence Department, reinforcing India's cyber readiness and the need for unified action in securing digital borders.