The numerous emails last week to schools claiming to have planted bombs and graphic accounts of what is in store, ended in a manner, it has ended all the time. That being the case, the fact is, in future even if one such email turns out to be true, the world will come down tearing apart that institution. Beginning in May 2025 and it has peaked now, if we go by last week’s experiences. India has seen a surge of bomb threat emails targeting key locations – schools, colleges, religious sites and stock exchanges. What threat mails have done is create scare leading to mass evacuations, panic and extensive security sweeps.
What is to be understood by one and all, that these mails need to be investigated and taken to its logical conclusion, it cannot end only with the security drill, at the end of which the institution is declared safe. Where are these emails traced back to? Its to platforms like Microsoft Outlook, and Atomic Mail, and are often routed through TOR to hide identities Microsoft Platforms – Outlook and Hotmail are repeatedly being targeted by threat actors. The purpose behind these hoaxes has varied from attempts to disrupt examinations, as seen in cases involving juveniles, to more sophisticated and widespread campaigns with alleged connections to foreign entities or mentally disturbed individuals.
The emails have been sent from a variety of anonymous and encrypted services, including offshore platforms like Atomic Mail and Beeble, as well as the Russian service Mail.ru. Perpetrators frequently use anonymity tools like VPNs and the TOR Network to mask their IP addresses, making it extremely difficult for law enforcement to trace the origin. These email-based threats are often part of a broader “email bombing” strategy, flooding multiple institutions at once with a near-identical, menacing message to maximize panic and disruption.
Where does the investigation reach bottlenecks, which with best of the efforts, they are not able to surmount? The biggest challenge is the lack of cooperation from the email service providers. Many times investigators get delayed or vague responses to official data requests. Microsoft is prone to citing privacy rules and absence of the US-India treaty. There is also a lack of alternate ids or mobile numbers from the requested accounts. Atomic mails lack of jurisdiction and anonymity-based service model further complicates investigations.
WITHOUT THE EMAIL SERVICE PROVIDERS ON BOARD, WE WILL KEEP ON REACHING INVESTIGATIVE DEAD ENDS.
Sanjay Sahay
Have a nice evening.