40,000 cyber-attacks attempted by Chinese hackers on Indian banking, IT sector in five days

A top police official in Maharashtra informed on Tuesday that hackers based in China attempted over 40,000 cyber attacks on India's Information Technology infrastructure and banking sector in the last five days.
 
Maharashtra police's cyber wing collected information about the hacking attempts and found out that most of them originated from Chengdu area in China.

"According to our information at least 40,300 cyber attacks were attempted in the last four-five days on the resources in Indian cyberspace," PTI qouted Yashasvi Yadav, Special Inspector General of Police of the Maharashtra Police's cyber wing, as saying.

This comes at a time when tensions between India and China are at an all-time high after both countries engaged in violent clashes in eastern Ladakh earlier this month resulting in the death of 20 Indian Army Jawans.

Meanwhile, the central government has asked citizens to remain alert against a phishing attack on Sunday that could be used to steal personal and financial information in the garb of official communication on coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT), the phishing attack campaign by "malicious actors" is expected to start from June 21 (Sunday). Notably, the CERT-In falls under the Information Technology Ministry and it works to protect Indians from cyber threats.

"The phishing campaign is expected to use malicious emails under the pretext of local authorities in charge of dispensing government-funded COVID-19 support initiatives. Such emails are designed to drive recipients towards fake websites where they are deceived into downloading malicious files or entering personal and financial information," CERT-In said in a statement.

Moreover, Indian security agencies have identified more than 50 China mobile apps which pose a threat to India's security.

According to reports filed by the security agencies, data that is important for the security of this country is being sent out to China through these apps.

Among the apps identified by the agencies, Zoom, TikTok is also considered as a threat.

However, all the companies have denied allegations of spying or sending data out of the country.