Cross-border cyber attacks committed in guise of govt communication to citizens: Maharashtra cyber

“The principal motive behind these cyber-attacks appears to be the intentional obstruction of key administrative functions and the spread of misinformation,” an official said.

Apart from directly targeting institutional digital assets, malicious actors have expanded their strategy by disseminating malware-infected files intended to compromise individual user devices, said the Maharashtra cyber.

These malicious applications and documents are being circulated under the guise of important government-related files, thereby increasing the probability that unsuspecting users may engage with them, the official said.

“Once opened, these files initiate unauthorized activity on personal devices, potentially leading to data theft, system surveillance, or broader network compromise. The deceptive labelling of these documents as official communication has significantly raised the risk of infection among the general public,” added the official.

In light of the current threat landscape, the Maharashtra cyber strongly advised citizens to remain vigilant while interacting with digital content and to exercise caution before clicking on unsolicited links or opening attachments from unverified sources.

“Users must refrain from downloading or accessing documents labelled as government files unless the authenticity of the sender is confirmed through official channels,” stated the  Maharashtra cyber.