In the wake of escalating tensions following the recent Pahalgam terror attack, Pakistan-based cyber groups have launched a series of cyberattacks on multiple Indian military websites. This has prompted Indian authorities to take several websites offline to assess the potential damage caused by the attacks.
Sources have informed that the cyberattack may have compromised sensitive information related to Indian defence officials, including their login credentials and personal details. A social media handle called ‘Pakistan Cyber Force’ has claimed that hackers were able to access sensitive data from the Military Engineer Services and the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses.
Additionally, hackers attempted to deface the website of Armoured Vehicle Nigam Limited, a Public Sector Undertaking under the Ministry of Defence. Screenshots shared by the now-banned social media handle of the Pakistan-based cyber group showed the Armoured Vehicle Nigam Limited webpage defaced with a Pakistani flag and a tank. Another post displayed a list of names, purportedly of Indian defence personnel, along with a message stating, “Hacked. Your security is an illusion. MES data owned.”
The handle also claimed to have accessed over 10 GB of data belonging to 1,600 users from the website of the Manohar Parrikar Institute of Defence Studies and Analyses. As a precautionary measure, the website of Armoured Vehicle Nigam Limited has been taken offline for a comprehensive audit to assess any potential damage from the defacement attempt and to ensure its integrity.
Indian cybersecurity experts and agencies are closely monitoring cyberspace to detect any additional cyberattacks, particularly those that may be sponsored by threat actors linked to Pakistan. Just last week, Pakistan-sponsored hackers from groups like ‘Cyber Group HOAX1337’ and ‘National Cyber Crew’ made unsuccessful attempts to breach Indian websites, specifically targeting the websites of Army Public Schools in Jammu with messages mocking the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack.
Indian cybersecurity agencies were able to swiftly detect and neutralise these hacking attempts. The recent cyberattacks highlight the growing threat of cyber warfare in the region and the importance of robust cybersecurity measures to protect sensitive information and infrastructure.
