G20 Summit: Delhi Police website hacked again by Pakistani group, how to protect yourself from such attacks

The official website of the Delhi Police was hacked for the second time in two days by a Pakistani hacktivist group called Team Insane PK. The website was inaccessible for at least 30 minutes on Saturday, showing an error message that said “The service is unavailable.” The cyberattack coincided with the ongoing G20 summit, where India is participating as a member. The hackers also targeted the Mumbai police website on Friday, along with several other Indian websites.

According to a threat intelligence platform, Team Insane PK is a religious group that has been actively attacking Indian cyberspace since February 2, 2023. The group mainly uses distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks and defacement attacks to disrupt and vandalize websites.

“Notorious Pakistan group team insane pk is again targeting Delhi Police’s website,” Falcon Feeds io wrote in an X post.

Notorious Pakistan group team insane pk is again targeting Delhi Police’s website.

NB: The site is inaccessible at the moment. #G20 #Cyberattack #India https://t.co/JSbtjSqMxw pic.twitter.com/usQR3oPnuE

— FalconFeedsio (@FalconFeedsio) September 9, 2023

The Delhi Police has not issued any official statement on the cyberattack yet. It is unclear how the hackers managed to breach the security of the website and what their motive was. 

This has come at a time when the government has beefed up the cybersecurity of its infrastructure to ensure the smooth conduct of the G20 summit. Taking many preventive measures for the G20 summit the government has adopted a ‘zero-trust policy’ that requires every device and person to undergo strict verification and permission before accessing or transferring data on a private network. It has also limited the access rights of everyone except the admin.

Moreover, the government has banned any external devices from connecting to the internet at the summit venue and has deployed agencies like CERT-IN to use advanced tech and tools to counter any cyberattack. These measures are also extended to the hotels where the delegates are staying. The authorities have instructed the hotels to monitor and log all network activities and to disable any unused router interfaces and switch ports. This is done to prevent any unauthorised access.

Here’s how to protect yourself from such attacks:

Use a comprehensive security software suite: This can also assist you in identifying and eliminating malware, ransomware, spyware, and other kinds of harmful software.

Use secure passwords: Don’t reuse the same password for different sites, and update your passwords frequently. Make them complex by using a mix of at least 10 letters, numbers, and symbols.

Keep your software up to date: This includes your operating system and security software. Updating your software can fix any known issues or weaknesses that cybercriminals can exploit to access your system.

Watch out for dubious links, attachments, and downloads: These files can contain malware and ransomware that can infect your device and cause serious harm once you click on them.