According to a Times of India report, the National Stock Exchange (NSE) successfully repelled over 400 million cyberattacks in just one day during a simulated cyber defense drill dubbed ‘Operation Sindoor’ — a stark reminder of the rising complexity of cyber threats targeting India’s financial systems.

According to officials at the National Stock Exchange, the platform faces a staggering 150–170 million cyberattacks daily. To safeguard continuous market functioning, a dedicated team of cybersecurity professionals—backed by advanced software and real-time monitoring systems—works around the clock to detect and neutralize threats like malware and DDoS assaults.

As part of Operation Sindoor, a DDoS cyber defense simulation, attackers sought to flood the National Stock Exchange’s servers with heavy traffic to trigger service outages. Thanks to its dual cyber defense hubs, the NSE successfully contained the assault, ensuring zero damage and uninterrupted market operations.

In a bid to reinforce system-wide protection, the NSE enforces compulsory VAPT checks—Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing—for every trading participant and internal platform, guaranteeing network-wide readiness against evolving cyber threats.

According to cyber analysts, the wave of attacks on the NSE reflects a broader threat to India’s digital backbone. Following the Pahalgam terror incident, Maharashtra Cyber identified seven Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) groups behind over 1.5 million coordinated cyber intrusions targeting government and financial websites, yet just 150 breaches succeeded, demonstrating a failure rate of 99.99%.

According to NSE authorities, a major cyberattack could have far-reaching impacts beyond the exchange itself, given the interlinked structure of financial systems. The officials highlighted the critical need for continuous cybersecurity upgrades and proactive threat monitoring to safeguard India’s markets against large-scale interruptions.