CyberSecurity news
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@cyble.com
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In May 2025, cybersecurity experts reported a significant surge in hacktivist activity targeting Indian digital infrastructure. This wave of attacks followed the terror attack in Pahalgam, located in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir on April 22nd, and India’s retaliatory strikes across the border. A coordinated effort by more than 40 hacktivist groups sought to disrupt and deface numerous Indian websites, leading to widespread alarm across media and social networks as many claimed significant breaches of government, educational, and critical infrastructure websites.
However, detailed technical investigations revealed that the actual impact of these attacks on Indian cyber assets was minimal. Claims of major data breaches, such as a supposed 247 GB breach of the National Informatics Centre (NIC), were largely unfounded as the data was publicly available or fabricated. Website defacements and Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks, while numerous, were short-lived and ineffective. Despite the relatively low impact, the cyberattacks highlighted the ongoing tensions in cyberspace between India and Pakistan. Technisanct identified 36 pro-Pakistan hacktivist groups involved in the digital assaults, countered by 14 Indian groups retaliating. The escalation in hacktivist activity serves as a reminder of the persistent and evolving cyber threats facing both nations, even amidst military tensions. Recommended read:
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Pierluigi Paganini@Security Affairs
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Pro-Russia hacktivist group NoName057(16) is actively targeting Dutch organizations with large-scale distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks. These attacks are causing significant access problems and service disruptions for targeted entities across both the public and private sectors in the Netherlands. The country's National Cyber Security Center (NCSC) has issued a warning about these ongoing cyber activities. The NCSC confirmed that the attacks also affect European organizations alongside Dutch ones.
The attacks are part of a broader campaign of cyber-attacks claimed by the hacktivist group. These persistent DDoS attacks aim to overwhelm the targeted organizations' systems with malicious traffic, rendering them inaccessible to legitimate users. The goal of these attacks appears to be the disruption of services and potentially the undermining of confidence in the targeted organizations. BleepingComputer reported on this campaign, highlighting the severity and widespread impact of these attacks. The National Cyber Security Center (NCSC), part of the Dutch Ministry of Justice, released a statement acknowledging the situation. The statement mentioned that both public and private entities within the Netherlands are being targeted by these large-scale DDoS attacks. The NCSC continues to monitor the situation and is working to mitigate the impact of these attacks. Recommended read:
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Dissent@DataBreaches.Net
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China has accused the United States National Security Agency (NSA) of launching "advanced" cyberattacks during the Asian Winter Games in February 2025, targeting essential industries. Police in the northeastern city of Harbin have placed three alleged NSA agents on a wanted list, accusing them of attacking the Winter Games' event information system and key information infrastructure in Heilongjiang province, where Harbin is located. The named NSA agents are Katheryn A. Wilson, Robert J. Snelling, and Stephen W. Johnson, all allegedly members of the NSA's Tailored Access Operations (TAO) offensive cyber unit.
China Daily reports the TAO targeted systems used for registration, timekeeping, and competition entry at the Games, systems which store "vast amounts of sensitive personal data." The publication also stated the TAO appeared to be trying to implant backdoors and used multiple front organizations to purchase servers in Europe and Asia to conceal its tracks and acquire the tools used to breach Chinese systems. A joint report from China's computer emergency response centers (CERTs) stated that over 270,000 attacks on the Asian Winter Games were detected, with 170,000 allegedly launched by the US. Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian condemned the alleged cyber activity, urging the U.S. to take a responsible attitude on cybersecurity issues and stop any attacks and "groundless vilification against China." Xinhua reported the agents repeatedly carried out cyber attacks on China’s critical information infrastructure and participated in cyber attacks on Huawei and other enterprises. Chinese law enforcement agencies are seeking information that could lead to the arrest of the three NSA operatives, though rewards were not disclosed. Recommended read:
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@www.wsj.com
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China has reportedly acknowledged its role in cyberattacks against U.S. critical infrastructure, specifically those attributed to the Volt Typhoon campaign. This admission occurred during a secret meeting with U.S. officials in December, according to SecurityWeek. U.S. officials noted that Volt Typhoon's actions, which involved infiltrating various industries' systems through zero-day exploits and other advanced tactics, were an attempt to deter U.S. support for Taiwan. Furthermore, cyberespionage by the Chinese state-backed Salt Typhoon group against U.S. telecommunications firms was also discussed, revealing the compromise of U.S. officials' communications.
These attacks are part of a broader pattern of Chinese state-backed hackers increasing their activity against infrastructure in the U.S., Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region. Recent intelligence indicates groups like Volt Typhoon and Salt Typhoon have infiltrated power grids, telecommunications networks, and transportation systems. Their apparent goal is to preposition for potential wartime disruption or coercive retaliation during periods of geopolitical tension. This approach involves installing dormant "logic bombs" designed to be triggered during a conflict or crisis, maintaining persistent access while minimizing detection risk. The intensified cyber activities are viewed as a component of China's cyber-enabled irregular warfare strategy. Recent incidents include a power grid failure in Taiwan linked to a Volt Typhoon logic bomb, along with similar occurrences reported in European infrastructure. The attacks' sophistication lies in their "Living Off the Land" techniques, blending state-sponsored hacking with proxy groups and disinformation to achieve strategic objectives without triggering conventional military responses. Such actions, as analyzed by IT security professional Simone Kraus, raise concerns due to their potential for devastating real-world consequences if critical infrastructure is compromised. Recommended read:
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do son@securityonline.info
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Cybercriminals are actively exploiting the Signal messaging application to distribute an information-stealing Remote Access Trojan (RAT), raising serious privacy concerns. According to a recently published report, a cybercriminal group identified as UNC-200 is behind the campaign, which involves targeting high-value individuals within Ukraine's defense sector. The Computer Emergency Response Team of Ukraine (CERT-UA) has issued warnings about this campaign, which utilizes the Dark Crystal RAT (aka DCRat) to compromise systems.
This malicious activity involves distributing messages via Signal that contain what appears to be meeting minutes. These messages are sent from compromised accounts to enhance credibility, enticing unsuspecting users to download malicious archive files. The archives contain a decoy PDF and an executable that deploys the DCRat malware, giving attackers remote access and control, stealing valuable information and executing arbitrary commands. CERT-UA attributes this activity to UAC-0200, active since summer 2024, who noted that the use of popular messengers increases the attack surface, including due to the creation of uncontrolled information exchange channels. Recommended read:
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@csoonline.com
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Recent reports have surfaced indicating that the US government ordered a temporary halt to offensive cyber operations against Russia, a decision that has stirred considerable debate and concern within the cybersecurity community. According to an exclusive report, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth instructed U.S. Cyber Command (CYBERCOM) to suspend all planning against Moscow, including offensive digital actions. The directive, delivered to CYBERCOM chief Gen. Timothy Haugh, appears to be part of a broader effort by the White House to normalize relations with Russia amid ongoing negotiations regarding the war in Ukraine.
The decision to pause cyber operations has been met with skepticism and warnings from cybersecurity professionals, who fear the potential consequences of reducing vigilance against a known digital adversary. Concerns have been raised about potential increases in global cyber threats and a decrease in shared confidence in the U.S. as a defensive partner. However, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has denied these reports, labeling them as fake news and a danger to national security. CISA also noted that Russia has been at the center of numerous cybersecurity concerns for the U.S. Recommended read:
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