Cyber Attacks From China, Pakistan Surged Ahead Of Ram Mandir Inauguration, India Blocks Over 1,200 IP Addresses: Report

Amidst the backdrop of the Ram Mandir inauguration in January this year, officials have disclosed a significant surge in cyber-attacks targeting critical digital infrastructure in Uttar Pradesh (UP), particularly websites associated with the Ram Temple and Prasar Bharti.

As reported by Economic Times, Hackers, predominantly from China and Pakistan, were actively engaged in attempting to breach these digital assets.

A total of 1,244 IP addresses were identified and subsequently blocked, with a staggering 999 originating from China alone.

“The rest of the blocked addresses were from Pakistan, Hong Kong and Cambodia,” officials said.

The Telecom Security Operation Centre (TSOC) monitored 264 websites, including those of the Ram Temple, Prasar Bharti, UP Police, and other essential services, throughout the event.

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“It was a 7-day drill to guard the digital assets as we had anticipated a rise in cyber-attacks. Since the main event was on 21 January, we had to secure the assets before and after the event also,” said an official.

Despite proactive measures, around 140 compromised IP addresses persisted in targeting specific websites, prompting further action from authorities.

Moreover, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) employed advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning for forecasting potential cyber threats.

Additionally, AI was leveraged to optimize crowd management and ensure seamless connectivity, with temporary mobile towers installed at the Ram Temple premises.

“We are proud of the fact that all the solutions to tackle the cyber-attacks were developed indigenously. Before the inauguration of Ram Temple, a similar strategy was put in place to guard the digital infrastructure during the G20 summit,” said another official.

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