Recently, Pakistan state-sponsored hacker groups launched multiple failed hacking attempts to hack Indian websites amid continuous cyber offensives against India after the Pahalgam terror attack. These breach attempts were promptly identified and blocked by the Indian cybersecurity agencies.
In one incident, the hacking group “Cyber Group HOAX1337” and “National Cyber Crew” attacked the websites of the Army Public School in Jammu (a union territory in India), trying to loiter on the site with messages mocking the recent victims of the Pahalgam terror attack.
In another cyberattack, hackers defaced the website of healthcare services for ex-servicemen, the sites of Indian Air Force veterans and Army Institute of Hotel Management were also attacked.
Besides Army-related websites, Pakistan-sponsored hackers have repeatedly tried to trespass websites associated with veterans, children, and civilians, officials said.
Additionally, the Maharashtra Cyber Department defected more than 10 lakh cyberattacks on Indian systems by hacking gangs from various countries after the April 22 terror attack on tourists in Pahalgam.
A Maharashtra Cyber senior police official said that the state’s police cybercrime detection wing has noticed a sudden rise in digital attacks after the Kashmir terror strike.
Experts suspect these cyber attacks are part of a deliberate campaign to intensify tensions on digital platforms. These attempts are seen as part of Pakistan’s broader hybrid warfare plan, which has a history of using terrorism and information warfare against India.
Besides Pakistan, cyberattacks have also surfaced from Indonesia, Morocco, and the Middle East. A lot of hacker groups have claimed links to Islamist ideologies, suggesting a coordinated cyber warfare operation, according to the police official.
A cybercriminal group known as Fog Ransomware has claimed responsibility for a cyberattack on the University of Notre Dame in Perth, Australia. According to reports, the group has allegedly stolen 62.2GB of sensitive data, including student medical records, staff and student contact information, and confidential documents.
The university was first alerted to a cybersecurity breach in January 2025. Recently, technology news sources revealed that Fog Ransomware had posted details of the attack on its dark web leak site. The group claimed to have accessed and stolen a large amount of private and institutional information.
As of now, the hackers have not made any ransom demands or issued a deadline for payment. Cybersecurity experts believe that this group has a history of targeting educational and recreational institutions worldwide.
The cyberattack has disrupted essential university operations, making it difficult for students and staff to access key services. Some of the areas impacted include:
1. Payroll and leave management – Employees have been unable to process payments and leave applications as usual. Temporary manual processes have been put in place.
2. Student enrolments and timetables – Many students have struggled to access their class schedules and register for courses.
3. Communication services – Internet and email systems have also been affected, causing delays in official university communication.
University official Patrick Hampton, who is both the Deputy Head of Education and President of the National Tertiary Education Union WA Notre Dame branch, stated that the attack had disrupted critical functions necessary for the university’s daily operations. He also emphasized that staff and students need additional support to cope with these challenges.
At this stage, the university has not been able to confirm exactly what data has been stolen. A spokesperson explained that while primary systems handling student records, finance, and human resources appear secure, some separately stored data might have been compromised.
To assess the situation, the university has engaged international cybersecurity experts and is working to determine the extent of the breach. Officials have assured that if any personal data is found to be affected, the university will notify those impacted as soon as possible.
The incident has been reported to the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC), and the university is taking necessary precautions to strengthen its security measures. Despite the ongoing challenges, the university has confirmed that classes for the 2025 academic year will begin as scheduled.
Meanwhile, the staff union is pushing for greater transparency from the university administration. They are demanding that university leadership keep staff and students fully informed about what data has been compromised and provide assurances about data protection measures moving forward.
This attack is a reminder of the increasing cybersecurity threats faced by educational institutions. Universities hold vast amounts of sensitive student and staff data, making them prime targets for cybercriminals.
A group of hackers has been caught running a large-scale cyber spying operation, now called REF7707. The attack was first noticed in November 2024 when strange activity was detected in the Foreign Ministry of a South American country. As experts looked deeper, they found that the same hackers had also targeted several other organizations in Southeast Asia.
The attackers used advanced hacking tools to break into computer systems, steal information, and stay hidden for a long time. However, even though they were highly skilled, they made serious mistakes that exposed their operation.
The Malicious Software Used in the Attack
The hackers used three main types of malware (harmful programs) to infect computers and control them remotely:
FINALDRAFT: A Hidden Control System
One of the key tools in this attack was FINALDRAFT, a type of software that allowed hackers to secretly take control of a computer. Once installed, they could:
GUIDLOADER and PATHLOADER: Sneaky Installers
These two programs acted as delivery tools that installed FINALDRAFT on infected computers. Instead of storing dangerous files on a computer’s hard drive (where they could be detected), they loaded the malware directly into the computer’s memory. This method helps cybercriminals avoid antivirus scans.
To further cover their tracks, they hid malware downloads on popular websites, including:
1. Google Firebase (a cloud service used by developers)
2. Pastebin (a site often used to store and share text)
3. Web storage systems of Southeast Asian universities
By using trusted websites, they made it harder for security systems to recognize the attack.
Hackers Misused Windows Tools to Spread
Instead of only relying on their own hacking tools, the attackers took advantage of built-in Windows programs to spread across networks:
By using tools that were already part of Windows, they avoided setting off alarms that custom-made malware might trigger.
How the Hackers Were Caught
Even though REF7707 was a well-planned attack, the hackers made several big mistakes that helped cybersecurity experts uncover their activities.
Key Errors They Made:
1. Left behind test versions of their malware: Some samples contained error messages and incomplete code, revealing how they built their attack.
2. Exposed their own websites: Many of their fake websites remained open and accessible, allowing experts to track their movements.
3. Messed up their encryption: Some malware was poorly coded, which made it easier for researchers to analyze and understand how it worked.
Tracing the Hackers’ Footsteps
By following these mistakes, security researchers tracked the hackers’ network of fake websites and compromised services. Some of the suspicious domains they discovered included:
1. digert.ictnsc[.]com
2. support.vmphere[.]com
3. hobiter[.]com and vm-clouds[.]net, which shared the same setup, suggesting they were controlled by the same group.
The attackers also abused Microsoft’s services to make their hacking traffic look like normal company activity.
What We Can Learn from This Attack
REF7707 is a clear example of how cybercriminals use sophisticated tricks to break into important systems, stay hidden, and steal data. But it also proves that even expert hackers can make mistakes— and when they do, security teams can use those errors to track them down.
Hackers are constantly improving their tactics, but as this case shows, cybersecurity experts are also getting better at catching them.
Cybercriminals have found a new way to trick smartphone users, fake wedding invitations. According to cybersecurity researchers, a newly discovered malware named Tria is being used to infect Android devices, primarily in Malaysia and Brunei. The attackers are disguising malicious links as wedding invitations and sending them via WhatsApp and Telegram to unsuspecting victims.
Once a user clicks the link and downloads the application, the malware starts working silently in the background, stealing sensitive personal information.
How the Malware Works
This cyberattack has been active since mid-2024. It follows a simple but effective strategy:
1. The hackers send a fake wedding invitation through group or private chats.
2. The invitation asks recipients to download an app to access event details.
3. Once installed, the app secretly collects private information from the victim’s phone.
The stolen data includes:
Cybersecurity experts warn that this stolen data can be used in several ways, including:
1. Hijacking banking accounts
2. Resetting passwords for email and social media
3. Taking over messaging apps to send fraudulent messages
Why Hackers Want Control of Your Messaging Apps
One of the biggest concerns is that hackers aim to take control of WhatsApp and Telegram accounts. Once they gain access, they can:
To process the stolen data, cybercriminals use Telegram bots, automated systems that collect and sort the information.
The exact group responsible for this attack is unknown, but cybersecurity researchers suspect that the hackers speak Indonesian. They have not been linked to any specific organization yet.
Similarities to Previous Attacks
This type of scam is not entirely new. In 2023, cybersecurity experts discovered a malware campaign called UdangaSteal, which targeted users in Indonesia, Malaysia, and India.
1. UdangaSteal also used fake invitations and job offers to trick victims.
2. It mainly focused on stealing SMS messages.
However, Tria is more advanced because it collects a wider range of data, including emails and instant messaging conversations.
How to Protect Yourself
Cybersecurity experts recommend taking extra precautions to avoid falling victim to such scams:
1. Be cautious of unexpected messages, even from known contacts.
2. Never download apps from links shared in messaging apps.
3. Use official app stores (Google Play Store) to download apps.
4. Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) for your accounts.
5. Verify invitations by calling or messaging the sender directly.
As online scams grow more intricate, staying vigilant is the best way to protect your personal data. If something seems too unusual or suspicious, it’s best to ignore it.
In a conversation with cybersecurity news portal TechCrunch, Simon Wijckmans, founder and CEO of the web security company c/side, said the hacking campaign is still “very much live”.
The hackers aim to distribute malware to loot passwords and sensitive data from Mac and Windows users. According to c/side, a few hacked websites rank among the most popular ones on the internet. Reporting on the company’s findings, Himanshu Anand believes it is a “widespread and very commercialized attack” and told TechCrunch the campaign is a “spray and pray” cyber attack targeting website visitors instead of a specific group or a person.
After the hacked WordPress sites load in a user’s browser, the content immediately turns to show a false Chrome browser update page, asking the website visitor (user) to download and install an update to access the website, researchers believe.
When a visitor agrees to the update, the compromised website will ask the user to download a harmful malware file disguised as the update, depending on whether the visitor is a Mac or Windows user. Researchers have informed Automattic (the company) that makes and distributes Wordpress.com about the attack campaign and sent a list of harmful domains.
According to TechCrunch, Megan Fox, spokesperson for Automattic, did not comment at the time of press. Later, Automattic clarified that the security of third-party plugins is the responsibility of WordPress developers.
“There are specific guidelines that plugin authors must consult and adhere to ensure the overall quality of their plugins and the safety of their users,” Ms Fox told TechCrunch. “Authors have access to a Plugin Handbook which covers numerous security topics, including best practices and managing plugin security,” she added.
C/side has traced over 10,000 sites that may have been a target of this hacking campaign. The company found malicious scripts on various domains by crawling the internet, using a reverse DNS lookup to find domains and sites linked with few IP addresses which exposed a wider number of domains hosting malicious scripts. TechCrunch has not confirmed claims of C/side’s data, but it did find a WordPress site showing malicious content earlier this week.