A Pakistani hacker group calling itself the ‘Pakistan Cyber Force’ claims to have accessed sensitive information after breaching Indian defence institutions. The group claimed that it had hacked the Indian Military Engineering Services, the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, and other websites. The alleged breach comes amid rising tensions in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack.
While the extent of the breach has yet to be officially confirmed by Indian authorities, officials familiar with the matter said that they have come across the claims. The officials that said that claims suggests the attackers may have compromised personel information related to defence persons including the login credentails.
Senior management of Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses categorically denied that its website was hacked, according to ANI news agency.
According to a post shared via the group’s X account, the attackers claim to have accessed classified personnel data, including login credentials related to Indian defence personnel. , cybersecurity agencies have initiated urgent investigations into the matter.
In addition to this data breach, it has also been reported that the group also attempted to deface the official website of Armoured Vehicle Nigam Limited, a PSU company under MoD. The website has been defaced by using the Pakistan flag and the Al Khalid tank, officials said.
As a precautionary measure, the website of Armoured Vehicle Nigam Limited has been taken offline for a thorough and deliberate audit, in order to assess the extent of any potential damage caused by the defacement attempt and to ensure the integrity of the website.
{{/usCountry}}As a precautionary measure, the website of Armoured Vehicle Nigam Limited has been taken offline for a thorough and deliberate audit, in order to assess the extent of any potential damage caused by the defacement attempt and to ensure the integrity of the website.
{{/usCountry}}Furthermore, cybersecurity experts and agencies are actively monitoring cyberspace to detect any additional cyberattacks, particularly those that may be sponsored by threat actors linked to Pakistan.
Pahalgam attack
The alleged cyber attack comes as tensions between India and Pakistan mount following the Pahalgam attack, in which 26 people were killed.
Following the terror attack, India took a raft of punitive measures, including the suspension of the 1960 Indus Water Treaty, which governs water sharing between the two countries.
Second cyberattack since Pahalgam
Monday's alleged hack is the second such attempt by Pakistan-sponsored hackers. Earlier this week, Pak hackers made a series of unsuccessful attempts to breach Indian websites, targeting digital platforms linked to children, veterans, and welfare services.
The groups, identified as "Cyber Group HOAX1337" and "National Cyber Crew," attempted to deface the websites of Army Public School (APS) Nagrota and Sunjuwan with inflammatory content mocking victims of the recent Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 people were killed.