Prophaze Technologies, a leading cybersecurity company headquartered in Technopark here, has successfully neutralized a series of large-scale Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks targeting India’s high-value installations during the recent stand-off with Pakistan.   

The AI-powered Web Application and API Protection (WAAP) platform by Prophaze, deployed across key sectors, played a vital role in countering cyberattacks aimed at disrupting major installations like airports and financial institutions.

DDoS means disruption of the traffic of websites or networks with an overwhelming amount of Internet traffic, like traffic snarls.

Between May 5 and 9, multiple waves of DDoS attacks were detected from globally distributed botnets with traffic volumes peaking at 85 million malicious requests within a 10-hour window on May 9, signaling a dramatic escalation in cyber threats targeting India’s critical infrastructure.  

Hacktivist groups such as AnonSec, Sylhet Gang (SG), and Dienet publicly claimed responsibility for attempting to take down Indian government services. 

Mr. Vaisakh T. R., CEO & Founder, Prophaze, said, “Despite the scale and aggression of these attacks, there was zero downtime. All systems remained operational—denying attackers the disruption they intended.”

“The first wave hit late on May 5, targeting a major Indian airport. Prophaze’s threat intelligence team identified consistent track IP patterns and unusual behaviors in real time, spanning globally,” he said. 

This wasn’t the first time Prophaze safeguarded national infrastructure. In April 2023, large-scale DDoS attacks on six major Indian airports and hospitals were neutralized through Prophaze’s intelligent Layer 7 mitigation systems, minimizing disruption and restoring operations swiftly. Hacker group Anonymous Sudan had targeted the websites of major airports and hospitals, attempting to cause DDoS at these establishments. 

According to Ms. Lakshmi Das, COO & Co-founder of Prophaze, this recent attack was significantly more intense than the campaign by Anonymous Sudan in 2023. Ms. Das said, “We had already implemented proactive defenses leveraging our deployments within the sector, giving us a strategic edge to respond instantly and effectively.”

In this latest attack, geo-fencing, IP profiling, and behavioral analysis enabled the startup to isolate and neutralize the latest threat in record time. By identifying repeated fingerprinting patterns across globally distributed botnets and applying custom WAF rules with real-time anomaly detection, the platform halted the attack within hours.

While some regional spikes in traffic were observed across India, critical operations remained uninterrupted, especially at high-value digital entry points.

Founded in 2019 and incubated by Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM), Prophaze began its journey by securing a cloud-based HR solution provided by a third-party vendor for Bank of America to meet strict compliance requirements.

Ms. Das said, “Prophaze was the world’s first cybersecurity product company to deliver a Kubernetes-based Web Application Firewall (WAF) to an enterprise to address real-world security threats. We’ve continued to push boundaries—recognized as a Representative Vendor in Gartner’s 2025 Market Guide for WAAP and earlier, in 2024, for API Protection as well.”

The company has also built strategic partnerships with leading global technology players, including Keltron, Deloitte, and Intel.

“We aim to become India’s first cybersecurity unicorn,” she added. “Our mission is to build globally competitive, AI-driven security systems rooted in trust and precision.”

The startup has 100-plus clients across the world with a global presence in the US, Australia, the Middle East, and beyond. With a strong R&D team based in Technopark, India’s first IT Park, Prophaze stands as a beacon of innovation in AI-driven cybersecurity.

Prophaze’s AI platform is engineered to safeguard digital assets for governments, enterprises, and cloud-native businesses across the globe. Built for scale, precision, and automation, Prophaze is India’s answer to global cybersecurity threats, trusted by over 100+ organizations globally, ensuring always-on protection in today’s volatile digital landscape.

Mr VK Mathews, Founder and Executive Chairman of IBS Software, has been elected Chairman of Group of Technology Companies (GTECH), the industry body of IT companies in Kerala, for 2024-2026. Mr Sreekumar V, Centre Head at Tata Elxsi Trivandrum, was elected the Secretary by the Annual General Body Meeting of GTECH held here on Friday. The term of the new office bearers runs for two years till April 2026. The Group of Technology companies has as its members around 250 IT companies employing over 80% of the workforce in Kerala. Nearly two lakh IT professionals work in the state, most of whom are based out of the three IT parks – Technopark in Trivandrum, Infopark in Cochin and Cyberpark in Kozhikode. The export revenue of the IT companies based out of these parks touched Rs 20,000 crores for the financial year ending 2023. Addressing the GTECH Annual General Body Meeting after the declaration of the new office bearers, Mr Mathews said “Over the years, GTECH has become a trade association of consequence spearheading several business and social outreach initiatives positively impacting the youth of the state and the community at large.” The role of GTECH is to facilitate the accelerated growth of the IT industry in Kerala by promoting and supporting existing IT companies, working closely with Government, handholding IT start-ups and engaging key influencers to mobilize public support for the industry. We at GTECH believe that supporting IT is supporting people as every direct employment by IT companies creates four indirect employment opportunities for the community, he said. GTECH organised two of the largest marathons held in the state in 2023 and 2024 to raise awareness of the growing menace of drug abuse amongst the youth of the state. The industry body’s Mu Learn initiative has proved to be a game changer in forging the industry – academia collaboration enhancing the employability of a large number of graduating students. All major IT companies in Kerala – TCS, Infosys, Wipro, Cognizant, IBS Software, Tata Elxsi, Quest, Allianz, UST, EY – as well as medium and small companies are members of GTECH.

Thiruvananthapuram, April 27: Famed for its panoramic nature, spices and eclectic culture and history, Kerala  has figured in The New York Times’ Read Your Way Around the World’ series with American writer Abraham Verghese giving a list of good reads for anybody interested  in exploring God’s Own Country.

‘Read Your Way Around the World’ is a series carried by The NYT that helps readers and travellers explore the globe through books.

Abraham Verghese, the American author and physician born to Keralite parents, begins  “Read Your Way Through Kerala” by lavishing praises on the beauty of the south Indian state before moving on to recommend an exhaustive list of books for those who are interested in Kerala or planning to travel to explore the unique experience awaiting them.

“If you arrive in Kerala from elsewhere in India, you’ll feel as though you’ve landed in a different country — ‘God’s own country as Keralites like to say, “notes Abraham Verghese, a bestselling author whose widely-read books include “Cutting for Stone.” He is also a medical doctor and Vice Chair of the Department of Medicine, Stanford University. 

“There is no better place to read than on the deck of your own houseboat travelling down shady waterways, while the fish you caught is being prepared in the open-air kitchen at the back of the boat….,” the author says, referring to the unique backwater experience awaiting travellers in Kerala.

“It is fascinating to know that Kerala has figured in New York Times’ Read Your Way Around the World series. This will especially serve as a guide for travellers interested in history and culture. This will bring to spotlight the literary and heritage tourism that Kerala has been promoting actively, “Kerala Tourism Minister Shri P A Mohamed Riyas said.

While some of the titles that Abraham Verghese recommends are written on Kerala by explorers and historians panning over centuries some others are widely-read Malayalam literary works, which have been translated into English and other languages.

Abraham Verghese gives a snapshot of how the renowned spice coast attracted the Arab traders first followed by westerners starting with the Portuguese followed by the Dutch, the French and the English, before listing out the books worth trying to know Kerala better.

Beginning on a cautious note that books of Kerala’s history can feel tedious, he says “a first-time traveler is better off with a broader introduction to India, like V.S. Naipaul’s incisive and inimitable “India : A Million Mutinies Now,” paired with “The Idea of India “by Sunil Khilnani.

The author’s list of good reads includes Shashi Tharoor’s “Inglorious Empire: What the British did to India,” Lathika George’s “The Kerala Kitchen,” which he describes as a colourful travelogue, memoir and cookbook and “Goat Days,” by Benyamin.

His  list of Kerala-related titles also has Nigel Cliff’s “Holy War: How Vasco da Gama’s Epic Voyages Turned the Tide in a Centuries-Old Clash of Civilizations”, Tanya Abraham’s  “Fort Cochin: History and Untold Stories”, Salman Rushdie’s “The Moor’s Last Sigh,” N S Madhavan’s “Litanies of Dutch Battery,” Jack Turner’s “Spice: The History of a Temptation,” Arundhati Roy’s  “The God of Small Things,” V K Madhavan Kutty’s “The Village Before Time,” Anita Nair’s “The Better Man,” Paul Chirakkarode’s “Pulayathara,” and Narayan’s “Kocharethi: The Arya Woman.”

“Even if you are limited to works translated into English, there are many to choose from. My favorites, Abraham Verghese says, include the master Vaikom Muhammad Basheer’s “Poovan Banana and Other Stories” and M T Vasudevan Nair’s “The Demon Seed and Other Writings.”I am also a fan of Paul Zacharia’s quirky, humorous and inventive writing style in “Bhaskara Patellar and Other Stories,” “The Reflections of a Hen in Her Last Hour and Other Stories. “

Before he concludes, he says his recommendations leave out many worthy writers. 

Milma Chairman resents entry of Nandini brand in Kerala

Thiruvananthapuram, April 13: Kerala Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation (KCMMF), known by the brand Milma, has voiced serious concern over the tendency of some state milk marketing federations to aggressively enter markets outside their respective states, holding that this involved total breach of co-operative spirit based on which the country’s dairy sector has been organised for the benefit of millions of dairy farmers.

“Of late, there has been a growing tendency on the part of some of the state milk marketing federations to market their staple products outside their respective domain. This grossly violates the federal principles and co-operative spirit based on which the country’s dairy co-operative movement has been built and nurtured by pioneers like Tribhuvandas Patel and Dr Verghese Kurien”, Milma Chairman Shri K S Mani said here today.

“The move of Amul (Gujarat Milk Co-operative Federation) to promote its staple products in Karnataka has been met with strong resistance from the stake-holders in that state. But Karnataka Milk Marketing Federation recently opened its outlets in parts of Kerala to sell its Nandini brand of milk and other products. How could this be justified? Whoever does this, it is a highly unethical practice which defeats the very purpose of India’s dairy movement and harm the interests of the farmers”, Shri Mani said.

This trend will only lead to unhealthy competition among states, which needs to be reined in with the Union and state governments coming together to evolve a consensus, Shri Mani said.

As per the prevailing agreement and courteous business relations existing among Milk Co-operatives, cross-border marketing of liquid milk shall be avoided as it amounts to blatant encroachment of the sale area of the respective state. Such practices from any side will jeopardise the spirit of co-operative principles that have been nurtured for long by mutual consent and goodwill, he said.

The tendency to enter the markets outside one’s domain by opening sales outlets or roping in franchisees should be avoided. Initially, they sell only value-added products, then start selling liquid milk also and subsequently begin shop-to-shop distribution of

milk. Eventually, they will seek to capture markets outside their respective area, taking advantage of the state-to-state variations in price and production cost.

Though the input cost in dairy sector in Kerala is much higher compared to other states, Milma passes on 83 per cent of its turnover to dairy farmers through the co-operative societies in its network. Also, the bulk of Milma’s surplus is given to the farmers as additional incentive on milk price and subsidy on cattle feed as the well-being of the dairy farmers is its prime concern.

Considering these stark realities, it is in the best interest of dairy co-operative federations of various states that they refrain from plans to open sales outlets or make franchisee arrangements to sell liquid milk and other staple products outside the respective state, Shri Mani added.

KSUM-incubated startup’s cyber security platform fends off hackers

Thiruvananthapuram, April 13: Cyber security startup Prophaze Technologies, incubated by Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM), has played a critical role in thwarting the recent cyber attack by the hacker group Anonymous Sudan against major airports and hospitals in various parts of the country.

Anonymous Sudan had targeted the websites of some of the airports and major hospitals, attempting to cause denial-of-service (DDoS) at these establishments starting from April 8. DDoS means disruption of the traffic of websites or network with an overwhelming amount of Internet traffic, like traffic snarls.

Prophaze’s Web Application Firewall (WAF) security platform acted in real time to prevent the DDoS attacks. The cyber attack that involved a combination of Layer 3-4 and Layer 7 DDoS was mitigated using Prophaze WAF and DDoS Solution.

Prophaze WAF, which provides real-time threat intelligence, leverages machine learning algorithms to identify and prevent threats.

Founded by Vaisakh T R and Lakshmi Das in 2019, Prophaze’s real-time attack detection and blocking mechanism helped analyse the attack and deploy effective measures to prevent disruption of services.

Vaisakh, also the CEO of the company, said security is all about updating the algorithms on a daily basis to ramp up defence strategies as cyber attacks are evolving quite often nowadays.

Prophaze provides proactive and adaptive cyber security solutions that can effectively protect organizations and individuals from cyber threats.

KSUM is the Kerala government’s nodal agency for entrepreneurship development and incubation activities in the state.

Impressed deeply by the scenic settings of the venue and the warm hospitality extended by Kerala Tourism as the local host, the international and Indian delegates of the just-concluded G 20 Sherpas meet at Kumarakom lavished praises on the State Tourism Department for making the event a memorable one paying attention to the last detail.

More than 120 delegates from G20 member countries, nine invite countries and various international and regional organisations attended the March 30-April 2 meet, chaired by Indian Sherpa Shri Amitabh Kant, at the Waterscapes Resort owned by Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC).

The state’s cultural heritage which was on full display at the famous sustainable tourism site in Kottayam district on the banks of the Vembanad lake and the eco-friendly initiatives made by the State Tourism Department received encomiums from the delegates.

Before leaving the site with enduring memories, the delegates thanked the local host with some of them recording their impression on staying in the place, enjoying the spice-rich local food and the houseboat ride they had on the picturesque backwaters.

As many as 50 officials from the Department of Tourism had camped at Kumarakom for the successful coordination of the hospitality.

Tourism Minister Shri P A Mohamed Riyas said delegates were highly impressed by the extensive arrangements made by the dedicated team of the Tourism Department at Kumarakom that were on par with global standards,

Shri Riyas said the holding of such an important conclave at Kumarakom has imparted an impetus to Kerala Tourism as a whole and the recent initiatives that turned the site into a shining example of sustainable, heritage preserving and community-centric Responsible Tourism initiative received great appreciation.

A festive mood was palpable on all days, as the venue became live with cultural programmes that featured around 1,200 artistes, staged a replica of traditional Pooram, boat races on the placid Vembanad lake and performance of martial art Kalarippayattu along with a host of classical and folk arts.

A dance drama showcasing the tale of legendary warrior Unniyarcha was one of the major attractions of the cultural programmes. Directed by filmmaker TK Rajeev kumar, the ballet was held on a 300 metre-long platform erected on the lake where Mohiniyattam, Kalarippayattu, Theyyam and Chavittu Nadakam (a folk art) were also staged.

It turned out to be a unique experience for the delegates as traditional houseboats were arranged by Kerala Tourism for ferrying them.

On the concluding day, Kerala’s iconic festival Onam was recreated at the venue. Onam’s salient features like Pookalam, Onasadya, pulikali, Kummattikkali, Oonjalaattam (swing) and tug-of-war heightened the festive spirit, and the delegates took time off their busy schedule briefly to have a hands-on feel of the festivities.

Sticking to the green protocol fully, the delegates were served food on edible biodegradable plates made from wheat bran. After use, these plates were used as fertiliser and as feed for poultry and fish.

Top officials of the world’s 20 largest economies held deliberations at the four-day summit to assess the work done so far under India’s G20 presidency and chalk out the way forward in tackling several global issues and challenges.