Cyberattacks targeting India have surged dramatically, with over 4,000 incidents reported in 2024, according to a new report by CloudSEK titled ‘2024 Hacktivist Activity Analysis’. These attacks, increasingly coordinated and politically motivated, aim to undermine trust in India’s digital infrastructure.The report highlights that various sectors, including education, government, technology, and healthcare, have been significantly affected. Education institutions were hit hardest, accounting for 32.5% of attacks, followed by government agencies (16.7%), technology companies (9.9%), and healthcare facilities (6.7%).Key Findings
Most Active Groups: The hacktivist groups BondowosoBlackHat and Z-BL4CK-H4T were identified as the leading perpetrators behind the attacks.
Common Attack Types: Website defacements, data breaches, and Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks were the primary tactics employed.
Peak Attack Periods: A notable spike in incidents was recorded around India’s Independence Day, with over 200 attacks occurring between August 15-17.
Unlike traditional cybercriminals motivated by financial gain, hacktivists operate with specific agendas. The report found that 65.5% of the attacks in 2024 were linked to support for Palestine, while 13.3% were driven by religious ideologies. Additionally, 12.6% of the attacks exhibited strong anti-India sentiments, reflecting the increasingly ideological nature of cyber warfare.Varun Ajmera, a Security Researcher at CloudSEK, emphasised the growing organisation among hacktivist groups. “Their ability to leverage geopolitical tensions to orchestrate large-scale attacks against critical infrastructure is a serious concern,” he stated.Tactics and Implications for 2025Hacktivists primarily used website defacement to spread propaganda, while data breaches aimed to leak sensitive information and erode public trust. DDoS attacks were employed to disrupt essential services during critical moments, impacting daily life and public sentiment.CloudSEK expects an escalation in hacktivist attacks in 2025, with new attack vectors likely to emerge. To combat these threats, organisations are urged to adopt proactive cybersecurity measures, including enhanced threat intelligence, regular security patching, and incident response planning.Also read: India faces 44% more cyberattacks per week than the rest of the world: Check Point studyFirst Published: Feb 3, 2025 10:51 PM IST
