GUWAHATI: Pakistani hackers have targeted and defaced multiple government websites in Rajasthan, continuing the digital offensive against Indian institutions.
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The latest incident involved the Rajasthan Education Department's official portal, which was compromised with anti-India content. The breach was confirmed on Tuesday, April 29, prompting swift action from the state's Education Minister Madan Dilawar, who directed the Department’s IT wing to initiate recovery operations.
The website was temporarily taken offline to prevent further damage, while cybersecurity agencies have been alerted, and a probe has been launched to trace the source of the attack and determine whether sensitive data was compromised. While no data leaks have been confirmed so far, a thorough system audit is in progress as a precautionary measure.
At the time of this report, upon visiting the website, the following message appears, “Sorry for the inconvenience but we're performing some maintenance at the moment. We'll be back online shortly!”
This breach comes a day after similar attacks on the websites of the Department of Local Self Government (DLB) and the Jaipur Development Authority (JDA), both of which were briefly defaced with pro-Pakistan messages. These portals have since been restored.
The group claiming responsibility identified itself as the ‘Pakistan Cyber Force’. In one of the defaced messages, the hackers made inflammatory remarks regarding the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which occurred on Tuesday, April 22, and left 26 dead. The hackers described the incident as an “inside job” and issued threats of future digital attacks, using phrases such as “No limits. No warning. No mercy.”
The online war began when a similar cyber attack was first reported on the website of the Army College of Nursing in Jalandhar Cantonment by a group identifying itself as ‘Team Insane PK’. The defaced landing page displayed a threatening message referencing the Pahalgam attack and included content tied to the two-nation theory. Although not operated directly by the Indian Army, the institution has been expected to work with CERT-In for investigation and recovery.
These incidents follow India’s recent diplomatic measures against Pakistan, including the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty and revocation of most visas for Pakistani nationals. Pakistan has since retaliated by suspending bilateral agreements and closing its airspace to Indian carriers.
Tensions remain volatile between the two nations for the time being, with Indian authorities pledging to follow up with future political and military operations in response to the Pahalgam attack.
