Kerala Govt GAD Website Hacked, ‘Team Blackleets’ Claims Responsibility

The official website of the General Administration Department (GAD) of the Kerala government was hacked on Sunday, with a suspected Pakistani group claiming responsibility for the cyberattack, officials said.

The website was hacked in the morning, following which a Pakistani flag was displayed on the homepage, officials said. A message posted on the website claimed that the attack was carried out by a group identifying itself as “Team Blackleets” and included a slogan in support of Pakistan. “We are Pakistani hackers. Every day, many websites have been hacked; today is your day,” the message said.

Officials said the website was taken offline after the breach was detected. The hosting provider suspended the account as a precautionary measure following the hacking incident. A cyber team is currently examining the website and associated systems to determine whether any data breach or compromise of information has taken place, officials said.

The website will be restored after the security assessment is completed and officials are satisfied that the system is secure, they said. The department is also preparing to report the incident to the Cyber Police, with a formal complaint expected to be filed soon, officials said.

The incident comes amid continued concerns over cyberattacks targeting government websites and digital infrastructure. However, officials have not yet confirmed the identity of the hackers or established whether any sensitive government information was accessed during the incident.

The Kerala State IT Mission operates several key government websites and e-governance programmes in the state. Officials said further details would emerge after the ongoing technical examination of the compromised website.

The cyber team is expected to ascertain the nature of the intrusion, the extent of any possible compromise and whether additional security measures are required before the website is brought back online. The department has not disclosed any information so far indicating that sensitive data was stolen or leaked in the incident.