Hackers Target Telangana Government Website, Mislead Google News Users

Hyderabad : A major cybersecurity breach was reported on Friday, November 8, 2024, when hackers infiltrated the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB) websit -hyderabadwater.gov.in—used by residents of Hyderabad to pay their water bills online. The breach caused the website to disseminate misleading and spammed content, which was then picked up by Google News, fooling its algorithm and spreading false headlines.

The attack appears to have been targeted at a vulnerability in the HMWSSB website, a crucial portal for Hyderabad's residents to manage their water-related services, such as bill payments and inquiries. The hackers gained unauthorized access to the site and began injecting malicious content, including misleading news stories and spam, that was automatically indexed by search engines, particularly Google News.

Due to the nature of the breach, Google’s algorithm, which is designed to scrape and index news content for distribution, was unable to differentiate between legitimate news sources and the fraudulent content coming from the compromised government site. This led to a widespread issue, where inaccurate and potentially harmful news stories appeared in users’ feeds, causing confusion and raising concerns over the platform's ability to prevent the spread of misinformation.

The fake stories, which were presented with seemingly credible headlines, quickly circulated on Google News, misleading users about ongoing events and potentially spreading misinformation. It is unclear whether the hacked website intentionally targeted Google News or if it was an unintended consequence of the breach, but the incident underscores the vulnerability of news distribution algorithms to manipulation through compromised authoritative websites.