Sarathi Portal Disrupted Following Suspected Cyberattack from Pakistan and China
The Sarathi transport portal experienced major service disruptions due to a suspected cyberattack from foreign hackers. National Informatics Centre officials confirmed the system was taken offline as a precaution to secure user data and has since resumed normal operations.
Highlights
- •The Sarathi transport portal experienced significant service disruptions due to a massive, abnormal surge in traffic.
- •Officials identified the spike as a suspected cyberattack originating from hackers in Pakistan or China.
- •The NIC implemented protective measures, including shutting down the server, to secure critical data from potential breaches.
- •Essential driving services, such as licence applications and renewals, were restored after the portal went offline for maintenance.
The Sarathi transport portal recently faced significant disruptions, leading to service outages at Regional Transport Offices (RTOs) across India. Authorities have indicated that the downtime was caused by a deliberate attempt to overwhelm the system, with suspicions pointing toward hackers operating from Pakistan and China.
Understanding the Cybersecurity Incident
According to S. Kasi Reddy, the National Informatics Centre (NIC) state coordinator for Telangana, the portal experienced a massive and unusual spike in traffic. While the system typically handles around 5,000 users, it suddenly recorded a surge of 95,000 requests. In response to this anomaly, cybersecurity teams proactively shut down the server to protect data integrity, which caused the service to become slow and intermittently unavailable for users.
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs, which oversees cybersecurity protocols for government platforms, is reportedly monitoring the situation. Officials emphasized that public portals featuring payment gateways are frequent targets for international cyber threats. However, they maintain that robust firewalls and dedicated cybersecurity teams remain effective at neutralizing these attempts, ensuring that sensitive data remains protected.
Impact on Transport Services
The Sarathi portal serves as a vital centralized platform for various essential driving-related services, including learner’s licence applications, driving licence issuance, slot bookings, and renewals. It also facilitates the monitoring of driving schools and instructors. Due to the temporary outage, many of these services were unavailable to the public until the portal was successfully restored on Tuesday afternoon.
At several RTO locations, staff attempted to manage the situation by manually accepting applications that did not require immediate online payment. Despite these efforts, many applicants faced delays or were unable to complete their necessary documentation during the downtime. Guntuku Prasad, a senior technical director at the NIC, confirmed that teams responsible for state-level maintenance managed the restoration process, ensuring the system returned to operational status.
Experts in the field, such as Suryanarayana Reddy, founder of SmarNcode Technologies, highlight that cyberattacks on public and private digital infrastructure are becoming increasingly frequent. Modern hackers are leveraging advanced tools, including artificial intelligence and sophisticated malware, to launch complex strikes. Consequently, agencies like the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre and CERT-In are continuously working to enhance defensive measures and mitigate potential risks to national digital assets. The recent incident serves as a reminder of the ongoing challenge in maintaining the security of critical public-facing online services in an era of heightened digital threats.
