Cybersecurity in focus amid India-Pakistan tensions, FM asks banks to ensure firewalling of digital infra
On Friday, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman directed banks to conduct regular audits of their cybersecurity systems and data centres and ensure that all digital and core banking infrastructure is fully firewalled and monitored round the clock to prevent breaches or any hostile cyber activity.
Neehar Pathare, MD, CEO and CIO, 63SATS Cybertech, said that while traditional warfare has long been defined by physical confrontations, modern conflict is increasingly being waged in the digital domain.
The Ukraine conflict and the Israel-Hamas war have both demonstrated how cyberattacks can be used to disrupt vital infrastructure, manipulate narratives, and destabilise entire nations. "We're now seeing a dangerous escalation—where hacktivist groups and state-aligned actors routinely target military systems, government agencies, and critical services,' Pathare said.
"Recently, a Pakistani group calling itself 'IOK Hacker' launched a cyber offensive against the Indian Army, disrupting platforms like Army Public School Srinagar's website through DDoS attacks, and attempting to breach the Army Welfare Housing Organisation and the Indian Air Force placement portal," he said, adding these attacks are only going to increase in frequency and sophistication.
Cybersecurity and cloud computing company Akamai said it is closely monitoring the notable increase in cyber activity affecting organisations across India, including Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attempts and the use of malicious files in targeted campaigns.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Mint
an hour ago
- Mint
Trump contradicts Netanyahu on Gaza starvation: ‘Those children look very hungry'
US President Donald Trump on Monday (July 28) said he believes there is a famine in Gaza and urged Israel to consider a different approach to its military operations, emphasising the need for immediate humanitarian assistance. 'People need to get food and safety right now,' Trump told reporters in Turnberry, Scotland. 'I told Israel maybe they have to do it a different way.' Trump's remarks come in contrast to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's assertion that there is 'no starvation in Gaza.' 'I don't know,' Trump responded when asked about Netanyahu's comment. 'Based on television, I would say not particularly, because those children look very hungry. We're giving a lot of money and a lot of food, and other nations are now stepping up.' Netanyahu, speaking at a Christian conference in Jerusalem on July 27, rejected accusations that Israel was using starvation as a weapon. 'There is no policy of starvation in Gaza and there is no starvation in Gaza,' he said, calling the allegations a 'bold-faced lie.' The Gaza Health Ministry reported on July 28 that 14 people had died of starvation and malnutrition in the past 24 hours alone, bringing the total war-related death toll from hunger to 147, including 89 children—most of them in recent weeks. In response to growing international concern, Israel announced a daily 10-hour pause in military operations in parts of Gaza and opened new humanitarian corridors. Jordan and the United Arab Emirates have also airdropped aid into the enclave. Trump said the US had sent significant aid to Gaza but reiterated long-standing accusations that much of it is diverted by Hamas. 'A lot of that money is stolen by Hamas and a lot of that food is stolen,' he said. 'I don't believe Hamas will release the hostages. We've given a lot of money to Gaza for food and everything else.' Standing alongside Trump, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer agreed on the urgency of the situation. 'This is a real humanitarian crisis,' he said. 'People in Britain are revolted at what they're seeing on their screens.' When asked about the UK government's commitment to recognising a Palestinian state, Trump refrained from commenting. 'I'm not going to take a position,' he said. 'I don't mind him [the prime minister] taking a position. I'm looking for getting people fed right now.'
Economic Times
an hour ago
- Economic Times
Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi seeks answers on Pahalgam intel lapse, abrupt end to operations
New Delhi: Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi on Monday launched a sharp attack on the government in Lok Sabha over the Pahalgam terror strike, questioning how the terrorists reached Baisaran valley on April 22 and why they remained at large even 100 days later. Opening the Opposition's debate on Operation Sindoor, Gogoi demanded answers on several issues - including US President Donald Trump's repeated claims of brokering an India-Pakistan ceasefire, and Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan's admission that India suffered air losses. He also criticised the government's decision to halt the operation after Pakistan's climbdown, asking why India didn't reclaim territory under Pakistani occupation. "The entire country, including the Opposition, stood behind PM Modi. Then suddenly, on May 10, there was a ceasefire. Why? If Pakistan was ready to surrender, why did we stop? Who did we surrender to? Donald Trump has said 26 times that he forced both countries to announce a ceasefire," Gogoi slammed the government's failure to track down the terrorists responsible for the Pahalgam attack. "It's been 100 days, but the five terrorists are still free. You have drones, Pegasus, satellites, CRPF, BSF, CISF, and even the Defence Minister visited - but you still couldn't catch them. It took an hour for an ambulance to reach Baisaran. The Army came on foot." Gogoi said. Holding Union home minister Amit Shah accountable, Gogoi said the Centre could not hide behind Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Manoj Sinha. "Who takes responsibility? The LG? No - it's the Union Home Minister who must be accountable. And the government blaming tour operators for taking people to Baisaran is cowardly," he said. Gogoi also criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not visiting the site after returning from Saudi Arabia. "Instead of going to Pahalgam, the PM went to Bihar and delivered an election speech. It was Rahul Gandhi who visited the victims," he added.
India Today
an hour ago
- India Today
Trump says Gaza children 'look very hungry,' pushes back on Netanyahu's claim
The deepening hunger crisis in Gaza has drawn urgent calls from US President Donald Trump, who said he believes there is a famine in Gaza and urged Israel to reconsider its approach, suggesting, "maybe they have to do it in a different way.""People in Gaza need to get food and safety right now," Trump said, adding that the US was providing "a lot of money and a lot of food" and other nations were stepping up aid as comments came just hours after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed that "there is no starvation in Gaza." When asked if he agreed, Trump responded, "I don't know. Based on television, I would say not particularly, because those children look very hungry." The US president also said he had told Israel that "maybe they have to do it a different way," and criticised the broader handling of the conflict. "Nobody's done anything great over there. The whole place is a mess," he remarks put him at odds with Netanyahu, who has denied any starvation in Gaza and vowed to continue military operations against Hamas, even as global pressure mounts over the worsening humanitarian also said Hamas had become "difficult to deal with" recently but confirmed he was in talks with Netanyahu about "various plans" to secure the release of hostages still held in TOLL RISES AS HUNGER SPREADSAccording to the Gaza health ministry, at least 14 people have died in the past 24 hours due to starvation and malnutrition, bringing the total number of hunger-related deaths to 147 since the war began — 88 of them children. Most of these deaths have occurred in recent overall death toll from the war, which began on October 7, 2023, now approaches 60,000, according to Gaza health authorities. Nearly 470,000 people are living in famine-like conditions, the World Food Programme (WFP) reported, with 90,000 women and children urgently needing specialised nutrition."In this moment, children are dying every single day from starvation and preventable disease," said Jan Egeland, head of the Norwegian Refugee Council. "Time has run out."ISRAEL ANNOUNCES NEW HUMANITARIAN MEASURESAmid growing pressure from world leaders, Israel announced several new steps over the weekend to help people in Gaza. These include a pause in military operations for 10 hours a day in parts of Gaza, safe routes for aid trucks, and fresh airdrops of important Israeli defence officials acknowledged that worsening conditions and global outrage had prompted the new steps. A spokesperson for COGAT, the Israeli military agency coordinating aid, confirmed that more than 120 truckloads of aid were delivered on Sunday in cooperation with international witnesses report that some trucks are being raided by armed looters or desperate civilians. "Currently aid comes for the strong who can race ahead, who can push others and grab a box or a sack of flour," said Emad, a former factory owner in Gaza City. "That chaos must be stopped."The WFP said it has 170,000 metric tons of food stockpiled near Gaza -- enough to feed the entire population for three months -- if Israel grants clearance for TRAPPED IN CRISISFor ordinary Gazans, the situation is dire. Wessal Nabil, a mother from Beit Lahiya in northern Gaza, described her daily struggle to feed her three children. "When you go to bed hungry, you wake up hungry," she told news agency Reuters. "We distract them with anything to make them calm down.""I call on the world, on those with merciful hearts, the compassionate, to look at us with compassion to stand with us until aid comes in and ensure it reaches us," she pleaded.A United Nations spokesperson said Israel had recently agreed to support a one-week scale-up of aid efforts. "We hope this pause will last much longer than a week, ultimately turning into a permanent ceasefire," said Eri Kaneko, speaking for UN aid chief Tom initially blocked aid to Gaza in March, hoping to pressure Hamas into releasing hostages. It reopened crossings in May but added new restrictions. While Israel claims it follows international law and wants to prevent aid from falling into the hands of militants, Hamas accuses Israel of using hunger as a weapon.- EndsMust Watch
