Following 10 bomb threats directed at various Delhi schools over a span of three days, authorities have discovered that the emails were dispatched via encrypted networks, complicating tracking efforts. Cyber specialists collaborating with Delhi Police have identified the use of virtual private networks (VPNs) and the dark web by the senders.

“Tracking an individual on the dark web resembles pursuing a shadow in a room filled with mirrors. Just when you believe you have uncovered a clue, it disappears behind another veil of anonymity,” a Delhi Police officer conveyed to PTI.

The term ‘dark web’ pertains to segments of the internet that do not appear in conventional search engines and can only be accessed through specialized browsers. A VPN enhances anonymity by concealing the user’s identifiable and traceable IP address, often by routing their online activities through international servers.

Among the institutions that received the threatening email on Wednesday are St Thomas School in Dwarka, Vasant Valley School in Vasant Kunj, Mother’s International School in Hauz Khas, Richmond Global School in Paschim Vihar, and Sardar Patel Vidyalaya in Lodi Estate. To date, 10 schools have been targeted with threats. Authorities have determined these threats to be hoaxes but are adhering to security protocols involving searches and awareness.

However, they are no longer dismissing these threats as mere pranks, as recent emails exhibit a pattern akin to threats made last February and in October of the previous year. The messages contain vague yet alarming language and are timed to precede school or college hours. Anxiety has escalated among students, parents, and school personnel as WhatsApp groups engage in discussions about theories and potential scenarios.

At St Thomas School in Dwarka, which received two threats within a 24-hour period, Rakesh Arora, the father of a 12-year-old student, remarked to PTI, “This not only instills fear but also disrupts the children’s education. The threats may ultimately be hoaxes, but we cannot help but feel frightened.”

Varun Kumar, whose daughter is in kindergarten, expressed, “This is not the first instance.

In February, a private school and a college from Delhi University in the capital received bomb threat emails. However, these were later confirmed to be hoaxes.

In October of the previous year, a more serious event occurred when an explosion happened outside a school. Thankfully, there were no injuries reported.

Earlier this year in January, police apprehended a teenager who was accused of sending bomb threats to more than 400 schools.

In response, schools have increased their security measures and are working closely with the police on a daily basis. The Delhi Directorate of Education (DoE) had previously released a 115-point Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) in May to address bomb threats in educational institutions.