PSU Bank hacking attempt
During 'Question Hour' in Lok Sabha Finance Minister Arun Jaitley informed MPs that there was a recent hacking attempt of a PSU Bank but it was foiled. Mr. Jaitley acknowledged the gravity of the situation as a successful hacking attempt could make the entire banking system vulnerable. He assured the house that RBI and all banks were aware and serious action was being taken.
Vulnerable Indian cyber space
According to an Indian hacker group, 4000 Indian websites are hacked everyday! As per a core member of a Pakistani hacker group, 60 % of Indian websites are vulnerable. Hacking attempts by Pakistani hackers on Indian websites began in 1998 and have steadily increased since.
Recent instances of hacked Indian websites
In March 2016, the IRCTC website was hacked by al-Qaeda; a message had been left for Indian Muslims. In April 2016, several complaints of identical fraudulent transactions were received making this the first 'bank hack' in Uttar Pradesh. In June 2016, seven Indian Embassies were hacked. Hackers left a message hailing the 'Pakistan-army'>Pakistan Army' and warning the Indian Government to not 'mess with Pakistan'.
Hacking Incident
Over the last week, cyber security officials in India revealed that hackers from a pro-Pakistani community breached security systems of banks and gained access to an e-payment gateway. It was also claimed that the same group of hackers had succeeded in hacking government websites in north-eastern and southern states. No data loss or leaks were reported however these hackers are now under constant monitoring.
Responses
Indian hackers had tracked down those responsible for the hacking of Indian websites and had gotten their accounts blocked in the past. However, after recent breaches of a serious nature, Indian hackers have threatened to wreck havoc in return. Cyber security analysts reveal that Indian banks had been made aware of several vulnerabilities in their security systems but these had yet to be resolved.
