Using incognito mode and VPN may still not ensure total privacy, according to expert
SVIMS Director and Vice-Chancellor B. Vengamma lighting a lamp to formally launch the cybercrime awareness programme conducted by the police department for the medical students in Tirupati on Wednesday.
An awareness meet on safe Internet practices was held for the students of Sri Venkateswara University University (SVU) and Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences (SVIMS) here on Wednesday.
“Cyber criminals on the prowl can easily track our digital footprint, steal our identity and resort to impersonation,” cyber expert I.L. Narasimha Rao cautioned the college students.
Addressing the students in two sessions, Mr. Narasimha Rao, who is a Senior Manager with CyberPeace Foundation, said seemingly common acts like browsing a website, and liking and commenting on posts on social media platforms could be used by impersonators to recreate an account in our name.
Turning to the youth, Mr. Narasimha Rao said the incognito mode and Virtual Private Network (VPN) used as a protected network connection do not ensure total privacy as third parties could still snoop over the websites being visited by the users. He also cautioned them tactics like ‘phishing’, ‘vishing’ and ‘smishing’ being used by cybercriminals to steal our passwords and gain access to our accounts.
“After cracking the whip on websites and apps that could potentially compromise our security, the Government of India has recently banned 232 more apps,” he noted.
Additional Superintendent of Police (Crime) B.H. Vimala Kumari appealed to cyber victims to call 1930 or the Cyber Mitra’s helpline 9121211100. SVIMS Director B. Vengamma stressed the need for caution with smartphones becoming an indispensable tool for students, be it for online education, seeking information, entertainment or for conducting digital transactions.
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Executive Summary
A purported news clip circulating on social media claims that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) purchased Bhupen Bora, a leader of the Indian National Congress, for ₹50 crore as part of a political deal in Assam. The viral clip further alleges that the transaction took place under the leadership of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and included an agreement to induct several Congress leaders into the BJP.
However, research by CyberPeace found the viral claim to be false and revealed that the original news video had been manipulated using AI and shared with misleading claims.
Claim
On February 18, 2026, a user shared the viral video on Facebook, claiming that the Assam BJP had bought a Congress leader who had lost the last three elections for ₹50 crore, and that the alleged deal led by Himanta Biswa Sarma had drawn public criticism.
Fact Check:
To verify the authenticity of the claim, we extracted key frames from the viral video and conducted a reverse image search using Google Lens. During the research, we found the original version of the video published on the website of Aaj Tak on February 16, 2026. In the original report, the anchor is only seen reporting on Bhupen Bora’s resignation from the party. The report does not mention any alleged financial transaction or political deal, contrary to the claims made in the viral clip.
In the next stage of the research, the viral video was analysed using the AI detection tool AURGIN AI, which identified the video as AI-generated.
Conclusion
Our research found that users had manipulated the original news broadcast using AI and shared it with misleading claims. The viral clip does not show any real financial deal between Bhupen Bora and the Assam Chief Minister.
Introduction
The Department of Telecommunications on 28th October 2024 notified an amendment to the Flight and Maritime Connectivity Rules, 2018 (FMCR 2018).
Rule 9 of the principle rules in FMCR 2018 stated:
“Restrictions–(1) The IFMC service provider shall provide the operation of mobile communication services in aircraft at minimum height of 3000 meters in Indian airspace to avoid interference with terrestrial mobile networks. (2) Internet services through Wi-Fi in aircraft shall be made available when electronic devices are permitted to be used only in airplane mode.”
In 2022, an amendment was made to the attached form in the Rules for obtaining authorisation to provide IFMC services.
Subsequently, the 2024 amendment substitutes sub-rule (2), namely :
“ (2) Notwithstanding the minimum height in Indian airspace referred to in sub-rule (1), internet services through Wi-Fi in aircraft shall be made available when electronic devices are permitted to be used in the aircraft.”
Highlights of the Amendment
These rules govern the use of Wi-Fi in airplanes and ships within or above India or Indian territorial waters through In Flight and Maritime Connectivity (IFMC) services provided by IFMC service providers responsible for establishing and maintaining them.
Airplanes are equipped with antennas, onboard servers, and routers to connect to signals received from ground towers via Direct Air-to-Ground Communications (DA2GC) or through satellites. The DA2GC system offers connectivity through various communication methods, supporting services like in-flight Internet access and mobile multimedia. Licensed In-Flight Mobile Connectivity (IFMC) providers must adhere to standards set by international organizations such as the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI), and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), or by international forums like the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) to offer In-Flight Connectivity. Providers using Indian or foreign satellite systems must obtain approval from the Department of Space.
The IFMC service provider must operate mobile communication services on aircrafts at a minimum altitude of 3,000 meters within Indian airspace to prevent interference with terrestrial mobile networks. However, Wi-Fi access can be enabled at any point during the flight when device use is permitted, not just after reaching 3,000 meters. This flexibility is intended to allow passengers to connect to Wi-Fi earlier in the flight. This amendment aims to ensure that passengers can access the internet while maintaining the safety standards critical to in-flight communication systems.
Implications
- Increased Data Security Needs: There will be a need for robust cybersecurity measures against potential threats and data breaches.
- Increased Costs: Airplanes will have to incur the initial costs for installing antennae. Since airfare pricing in India is market-driven and largely unregulated, these costing changes might find their way into ticket prices, making flight tickets more expensive.
- Interference Management: A framework regarding the conditions under which Wi-FI must be switched off to avoid interference with terrestrial communication systems can be determined by stakeholders and communicated to passengers.
- Enhanced Connectivity Infrastructure: Airlines may need to invest in better flight-connectivity infrastructure to handle increased network traffic as more passengers access Wi-fi at lower altitudes and for longer durations.
Conclusion
The Flight and Maritime Connectivity (Amendment) Rules, 2024, enhance passenger convenience and align India with global standards for in-flight connectivity while complying with international safety protocols. Access to the internet during flights and at sea provides valuable real-time information, enhances safety, and offers access to health support during aviation and maritime operations. However, new challenges including the need for robust cybersecurity measures, cost implications for airlines and passengers, and management of interference with terrestrial networks will have to be addressed through a collaborative approach between airlines, IFMC providers, and regulatory authorities.
Sources
- https://dot.gov.in/sites/default/files/2018_12_17%20AS%20IFMC_2.pdf?download=1
- https://dot.gov.in/sites/default/files/Amendment%20dated%2004112024%20in%20flight%20and%20maritime%20connectivity%20rules%202018%20to%20IFMC%20Service%20Provider.pdf
- https://www.t-mobile.com/dialed-in/wireless/how-does-airplane-wifi-work
- https://tec.gov.in/public/pdf/Studypaper/DA2GC_Paper%2008-10-2020%20v2.pdf
- https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/wifi-use-flights-no-longer-linked-altitude-now-subject-permission-2628118-2024-11-05
- https://pib.gov.in/Pressreleaseshare.aspx?PRID=1843408#:~:text=With%20the%20repeal%20of%20Air,issue%20directions%20to%20such%20airline.
Executive Summary:
This report deals with a recent cyberthreat that took the form of a fake message carrying a title of India Post which is one of the country’s top postal services. The scam alerts recipients to the failure of a delivery due to incomplete address information and requests that they click on a link (http://iydc[.]in/u/5c0c5939f) to confirm their address. Privacy of the victims is compromised as they are led through a deceitful process, thereby putting their data at risk and compromising their security. It is highly recommended that users exercise caution and should not click on suspicious hyperlinks or messages.
False Claim:
The fraudsters send an SMS stating the status of delivery of an India Mail package which could not be delivered due to incomplete address information. They provide a deadline of 12 hours for recipients to confirm their address by clicking on the given link (http://iydc[.]in/u/5c0c5939f). This misleading message seeks to fool people into disclosing personal information or compromising the security of their device.
The Deceptive Journey:
- First Contact: The SMS is sent and is claimed to be from India Post, informs users that due to incomplete address information the package could not be delivered.
- Recipients are then expected to take action by clicking on the given link (http://iydc[.]in/u/5c0c5939f) to update the address. The message creates a panic within the recipient as they have only 12 hours to confirm their address on the suspicious link.
- Click the Link: Inquiring or worried recipients click on the link.
- User Data: When the link is clicked, it is suspected to launch possible remote scripts in the background and collect personal information from users.
- Device Compromise: Occasionally, the website might also try to infect the device with malware or take advantage of security flaws.
The Analysis:
- Phishing Technique: The scam allures its victims with a phishing technique and poses itself as the India Post Team, telling the recipients to click on a suspicious link to confirm the address as the delivery package can’t be delivered due to incomplete address.
- Fake Website Creation: Victims are redirected to a fraudulent website when they click on the link (http://iydc[.]in/u/5c0c5939f) to update their address.
- Background Scripts: Scripts performing malicious operations such as stealing the visitor information, distributing viruses are suspected to be running in the background. This script can make use of any vulnerability in the device/browser of the user to extract more info or harm the system security.
- Risk of Data Theft: This type of fraud has the potential to steal the data involved because it lures the victims into giving their personal details by creating fake urgency. The threat actors can use it for various illegal purposes such as financial fraud, identity theft and other criminal purposes in future.
- Domain Analysis: The iydc.in domain was registered on the 5th of April, 2024, just a short time ago. Most of the fraud domains that are put up quickly and utilized in criminal activities are usually registered in a short time.
- Registrar: GoDaddy.com, LLC, a reputable registrar, through which the domain is registered.
- DNS: Chase.ns.cloudflare.com and delilah.ns.cloudflare.com are the name servers used by Cloudflare to manage domain name resolution.
- Registrant: Apart from the fact that it is in Thailand, not much is known about the registrant probably because of using the privacy reduction plugins.
- Domain Name: iydc.in
- Registry Domain ID: DB3669B210FB24236BF5CF33E4FEA57E9-IN
- Registrar URL: www.godaddy.com
- Registrar: GoDaddy.com, LLC
- Registrar IANA ID: 146
- Updated Date: 2024-04-10T02:37:06Z
- Creation Date: 2024-04-05T02:37:05Z (Registered in very recent time)
- Registry Expiry Date: 2025-04-05T02:37:05Z
- Registrant State/Province: errww
- Registrant Country: TH (Thailand)
- Name Server: delilah.ns.cloudflare.com
- Name Server: chase.ns.cloudflare.com
Note: Cybercriminals used Cloudflare technology to mask the actual IP address of the fraudulent website.
CyberPeace Advisory:
- Do not open the messages received from social platforms in which you think that such messages are suspicious or unsolicited. In the beginning, your own discretion can become your best weapon.
- Falling prey to such scams could compromise your entire system, potentially granting unauthorized access to your microphone, camera, text messages, contacts, pictures, videos, banking applications, and more. Keep your cyber world safe against any attacks.
- Never reveal sensitive data such as your login credentials and banking details to entities where you haven't validated as reliable ones.
- Before sharing any content or clicking on links within messages, always verify the legitimacy of the source. Protect not only yourself but also those in your digital circle.
- Verify the authenticity of alluring offers before taking any action.
Conclusion:
The India Post delivery scam is an example of fraudulent activity that uses the name of trusted postal services to trick people. The campaign is initiated by using deceptive texts and fake websites that will trick the recipients into giving out their personal information which can later be used for identity theft, financial losses or device security compromise. Technical analysis shows the sophisticated tactics used by fraudsters through various techniques such as phishing, data harvesting scripts and the creation of fraudulent domains with less registration history etc. While encountering such messages, it's important to verify their authenticity from official sources and take proactive measures to protect both your personal information and devices from cyber threats. People can reduce the risk of falling for online scams by staying informed and following cybersecurity best practices.
