The Supreme Court has issued a public notice warning the public against a phishing attack. The advisory comes in the wake of several fake websites impersonating the official website of the apex court being created and hosted on the Internet. The attackers are soliciting personal details and other confidential information from unsuspecting users. The notice, issued by the Supreme Court Registry, advised the public not to share or divulge any personal and confidential information on these fake websites.
The notice further stated that the Supreme Court of India would never ask for personal information, financial details, or other confidential information. The notice was issued by Registrar (Technology) H.S. Jaggi. The Supreme Court is the registered user of the domain name www.sci.gov.in. The public has been advised to always hover over the URL before clicking on it to verify its authenticity.
The notice also advised the public at large to neither click on nor share the links they receive without verifying the authenticity. In the event of someone falling victim to the phishing attack, the Court has advised that the victim change their passwords for all online accounts and also contact their bank or credit card company to report any unauthorized access. The Supreme Court Registry has taken due concern of the phishing attack and has flagged the same with law enforcement agencies to investigate the phishing attack and bring the perpetrators to justice.
This is not the first time that the Supreme Court has been targeted by cybercriminals. In September last year, the Supreme Court had to temporarily disable its YouTube channel after it was hacked and broadcasted videos promoting a cryptocurrency developed by a US-based company. The channel was renamed “Ripple” and a video titled Brad Garlinghouse: Ripple Responds To The SEC’s $2 Billion Fine! XRP PRICE PREDICTION was live on the compromised channel. The services on the YouTube channel were resumed within hours.
The phishing attack on the Supreme Court is a stark reminder of the growing scale of cyber threats. In 2023 alone, Avast reported protecting four million users from YouTube-related threats, with another 500,000 protected in just the first quarter of 2024. This breach occurred at a time when the Supreme Court was scheduled to hear a number of priority cases, including a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) urging the court to establish a fixed time limit for the government to notify judicial appointments recommended by the SC Collegium.
The Supreme Court’s YouTube channel was also used to live stream the hearings of the suo motu case on the tragic rape and murder at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, a case that drew significant public and media attention. The breach of the Supreme Court’s YouTube channel and the recent phishing attack on the Supreme Court’s official website underscore the urgent need for robust cybersecurity measures to protect sensitive information and prevent unauthorized access.