Operation Sindoor is a sophisticated and coordinated cyber campaign primarily targeting critical sectors within India, including defense, government IT, healthcare, telecommunications, and education. The operation is attributed to APT36, a Pakistan-aligned advanced persistent threat group, which employed advanced tactics such as spear phishing to gain initial access, deployment of malicious scripts, and the use of the Ares Remote Access Trojan (RAT) to establish persistent footholds within victim networks. This RAT enables long-term espionage and data exfiltration, allowing attackers to maintain control and gather sensitive information over extended periods. Concurrently, multiple hacktivist groups participated in the campaign by conducting distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks and website defacements, amplifying disruption and spreading ideological messages. The campaign represents a hybrid threat model combining covert cyber espionage with overt hacktivist activism, aiming to degrade national cybersecurity posture and erode public trust. Indicators of compromise include several malicious domains such as fogomyart.com and operationsindoor2025.in, likely used for command and control or hosting malicious payloads. Although no known exploits in the wild have been reported, the campaign’s medium severity rating reflects its potential for significant operational and reputational damage. The operation underscores the necessity for enhanced threat intelligence sharing, robust incident response frameworks, and comprehensive defense-in-depth strategies to counter evolving hybrid threats that blend state-sponsored espionage with hacktivist activism.

For European organizations, the direct impact of Operation Sindoor is currently limited due to its primary focus on Indian critical infrastructure sectors. However, the tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) employed by APT36 and associated hacktivist groups could be adapted or replicated against European targets, especially those with strategic or geopolitical ties to India or Pakistan. European defense contractors, government IT agencies, healthcare providers, telecom operators, and educational institutions engaged in collaborations or data exchanges with Indian entities may face indirect risks such as supply chain compromises or secondary targeting. The use of spear phishing and RATs like Ares highlights vulnerabilities in endpoint security and user awareness that are globally relevant. Additionally, the involvement of hacktivist groups indicates a potential for ideologically motivated attacks that could spill over into Europe, particularly in countries with significant South Asian diaspora communities or geopolitical interests in South Asia. The campaign’s emphasis on website defacements and DDoS attacks also signals a threat to public-facing services and digital trust, which are critical for European organizations’ operational continuity and reputation. Overall, while the immediate threat vector is geographically concentrated, the operational methods and hybrid threat model present a cautionary example for European cybersecurity stakeholders to anticipate and prepare for similar multi-domain campaigns.

European organizations should implement targeted measures beyond standard cybersecurity hygiene to mitigate risks associated with threats like Operation Sindoor. First, enhance spear phishing defenses by deploying advanced email filtering solutions that incorporate machine learning to detect sophisticated social engineering attempts, coupled with continuous user training tailored to recognize regionally relevant phishing lures. Second, deploy endpoint detection and response (EDR) tools capable of identifying and isolating RAT behaviors, specifically signatures or heuristics associated with Ares RAT and similar malware families. Third, conduct regular threat hunting exercises focusing on indicators of compromise (IOCs) such as the identified malicious domains (e.g., fogomyart.com, operationsindoor2025.in) and monitor network traffic for anomalous connections to these or related infrastructure. Fourth, strengthen web application security to prevent defacements by implementing rigorous patch management, web application firewalls (WAFs), and integrity monitoring of public-facing websites. Fifth, prepare for and mitigate DDoS attacks by leveraging scalable cloud-based DDoS protection services and establishing incident response playbooks that include coordination with internet service providers and law enforcement. Finally, foster international threat intelligence sharing partnerships, particularly with Indian cybersecurity agencies and CERTs, to gain early warnings and contextual insights into evolving APT36 activities and hacktivist campaigns. These steps, combined with a proactive security posture, will help European organizations anticipate and neutralize hybrid threats modeled after Operation Sindoor.