Alarm bells go off as Indonesian hacktivists breach government websites

Indonesian hackers may have been behind the breach of several Indian websites this month, including those of the Indian army and the Census of India as well as institutions like Banaras Hindu University, according to experts.

They said the suspects may be targeting websites as part of hacktivism – which refers to breaking into a computer system motivated by a political or social agenda – and cautioned that such instances are expected to increase.

“The attacks are not just focused on bringing down Government websites and defacing them but also compromising critical infrastructure organizations in India, stealing confidential data, leaking information such as posting and deployment of Armed Forces troops, and sensitive information of law enforcement and intelligence agencies officials deployed on secret missions,” Kanishk Gaur, chief executive officer of Athenian Tech, told ET.