The digital battlefield between India and Pakistan has intensified in 2025, with headlines dominated by dramatic claims of cyberwarfare and espionage. However, beneath the sensationalism lies a different reality-one that demands scrutiny, discernment, and a grounded perspective on the true risks involved. In May 2025, several hacktivist groups associated with Pakistan claimed responsibility for over 100 cyberattacks on Indian websites spanning government, education, and critical infrastructure sectors. But what really happened?
Claims vs. Capabilities: The Disparity
Hacktivist groups like Nation Of Saviors, KAL EGY 319, SYLHET GANG-SG, and Vulture made headlines by boasting about defacements, data leaks, and DDoS attacks on Indian entities. However, as CloudSEK’s investigation meticulously revealed, a large majority of these claims were either exaggerated or outright false.
The infamous defacement campaign led by KAL EGY 319, which allegedly targeted 40 educational and medical websites, turned out to be largely inconsequential. Most of the targeted sites were found to be functioning normally, with no trace of defacement or data compromise. This raises a fundamental concern: are such claims meant more for propaganda than real disruption?
Even high-profile claims, such as those targeting the National Informatics Centre (NIC), were unsubstantiated. Hacktivist groups claimed to have extracted 247 GB of sensitive government data, but the actual “leak” amounted to 1.5 GB of non-sensitive, publicly available material. Similarly, an alleged breach of the Election Commission of India was just a repackaging of data that had already been leaked in 2023-a classic tactic to create fresh fear using old fodder.
DDoS Attacks: The Myth of Mass Disruption
Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks were also widely reported by these groups. Entities like the Prime Minister’s Office, the President's office, CERT-In, and the National Testing Agency were said to have been targeted in coordinated attacks. However, the downtime observed on these websites, if any, lasted for a few minutes at best. These incidents barely registered as disruptions, let alone qualifying as cyber warfare.
These superficial attacks rely on rudimentary tools, screenshots, and inflated narratives. The groups behind them often collaborate or amplify each other’s claims on platforms like X (formerly Twitter) to build an illusion of scale and impact. But as CloudSEK points out, many of these tactics have remained stagnant over the last two years and pose little real threat to systems with basic cyber hygiene.
The Real Threat: APT36 and Crimson RAT
Amidst the noise, a more insidious actor quietly operates beneath the surface-APT36, a sophisticated espionage group reportedly aligned with Pakistani state interests. Unlike noisy hacktivist groups, APT36 employs targeted malware, such as Crimson RAT (Remote Access Trojan), to infiltrate Indian defense and government networks.
Following the April 2025 Pahalgam terror attack, APT36 was found to have launched spear-phishing campaigns aimed at India’s defense infrastructure. The Crimson RAT malware, once installed via deceptive documents or phishing links, enables remote attackers to access files, capture keystrokes, and take control of infected systems. This kind of silent infiltration is far more damaging than a brief website defacement or minor data leak.
APT36’s tradecraft, including the use of social engineering, malware obfuscation, and persistence techniques, reflects a high degree of sophistication. While the impact of hacktivist groups remains mostly cosmetic, APT36 represents a long-term national security concern.
Strategic Takeaways
-
Verify Before You Panic: Most high-profile cyberattack claims, especially from hacktivist collectives, are puffed-up propaganda. It’s essential to conduct proper forensic analysis before drawing conclusions.
-
Invest in Cyber Hygiene: Basic DDoS protection, regular patching, and phishing awareness can neutralize a majority of the low-level threats propagated by hacktivist groups.
-
Focus on APT Defense: Organizations must prioritize defending against Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs) like APT36. This includes investing in threat intelligence, endpoint detection and response (EDR) systems, and employee awareness programs.
-
Monitor the Narrative: Hacktivists increasingly rely on social media to create panic and manipulate public opinion. Monitoring these narratives can help identify disinformation before it causes reputational harm.
Conclusion
The India-Pakistan cyber conflict, at least in its hacktivist-driven form, seems more about optics than impact. While defacements and repurposed data leaks generate headlines, they rarely affect operational continuity. The real danger lies in the quieter, more strategic operations of groups like APT36, whose efforts to infiltrate Indian defense and government systems pose serious implications.
As we move forward in an era of hybrid warfare, it becomes crucial to separate noise from nuance and propaganda from practical threats. Only then can cybersecurity efforts be effectively targeted and scaled to counter both the smoke and the fire.