Indonesian hacktivists threatened India ahead of G20 Summit

As India will be hosting the G20 Summit on September 9th and 10th this year, the nation faces an impending cybersecurity threat from Indonesian hacktivists Ganonsec and Jambi Cyber Team, who announced targeting its digital infrastructure under the campaign called “opIndia.”

Ganonsec and Jambi Cyber Team are well-known hacktivist groups from Indonesia with histories of conducting cyberattacks for political and religious causes. Their collaboration under the “opIndia” campaign raises concerns about the scale and impact of the impending attacks on the targeted nation.

The hacktivist campaign, “opIndia,” explicitly targets Indian websites in the days leading up to the G20 Summit. This huge event gathers world leaders and organisations, making it an attractive target for Indonesian hacktivists to voice their protests, with a motive rooted in religious and political concerns. It also intends to disrupt India’s online presence during this critical time.

 

The Indonesian hacktivists Ganonsec and Jambi Cyber Team are known for their sophisticated attack capabilities.

 

This campaign has been uncovered from an announcement posted by the hacktivist groups in a Telegram channel, with a banner stating its objective of targeting Indian websites that will allegedly go on for two days nonstop.

While specific attack vectors of the threat groups are yet to be revealed, security experts anticipate a range of malicious activities to transpire from the campaign, including Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks and data breaches.

The impending cyberattacks pose severe risks to India’s digital infrastructure, including disruption of essential services, endangerment of sensitive data, and reputational damage to the country. Furthermore, the attacks may hinder India’s ability to ensure the smooth operation of the upcoming G20 Summit.

Enhanced cybersecurity measures and increased critical infrastructure monitoring are among the strategies that must be employed for the expected cyberattacks from the threat groups. Cybersecurity experts advise organisations and individuals to strengthen their digital defences, including updating software, employing strong authentication methods, and conducting security audits.

Update: On September 7, it came to light that a coalition of threat groups for the “opIndia” campaign has emerged with a shared objective: to launch a series of cyberattacks against India in the lead-up to the G20 Summit. This union includes a formidable lineup of entities such as the Union of Greats, 313 Team, Cyber Error System, Hacktivist Aceh, Hizbullah Cyb3r Team, Garnesia Team, GanoSec Team, Ketapang Grey Hat Team, Shark Team, Hacktivist Indonesia, and From Lammer To Mastah. The details of this alliance were disclosed through a Telegram channel.