Several Indian Defence Websites Hacked, Pakistani Group Claims Responsibility: Report

New Delhi: Several Indian defence websites were hacked into by a Pakistan-backed hacker group, as per a report by The Hindu Business Line. Among the websites hacked are those of the Indian Military Engineering Services and the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses.

The Hindu Business Line quoted sources in the Indian Army as saying that the hackers gained access to sensitive data.

In response the Indian Army took “appropriate and necessary measures” to “strengthen digital defence and safeguard against further intrusion attempts”, the report said.

A report by Hindustan Times said that a Pakistani hacker group that calls itself the “Pakistan Cyber Force” took responsibility for hacking into the Indian defence websites. 

According to The Hindu and HT reports, the extent of the breach has not yet been officially confirmed by Indian authorities. As per the report by HT, the attackers claimed – through a post shared via the group’s X account – to have accessed classified personnel data, including login credentials related to Indian defence personnel.

The Mint reported that the hackers’ X account claimed that it had gained access to 10 gigabytes of data of over 1,600 users of the Manohar Parrikar Institute of Defence Studies and Analyses website. However, the report quoted unnamed members of the “senior management” of the institute as saying that its website was not hacked into.

The Pakistani hacker group also allegedly attempted to “deface” the official website of Armoured Vehicle Nigam Limited, a PSU company under the Ministry of Defence, by using the Pakistan flag and the Al Khalid tank, Hindustan Times quoted officials as saying. As per the report, the website has been taken offline for a “thorough and deliberate audit”, to assess the extent of potential damage caused.

As per HT, this is the second cyber attack after the Pahalgam attack in Jammu and Kashmir, which resulted in the deaths of 26 civilians. It reported that earlier, hackers had tried unsuccessfully to breach into several Indian websites, targeting digital platforms linked to children, veterans, and welfare services. 

The hacker groups, calling themselves the “Cyber Group HOAX1337” and “National Cyber Crew” attempted to deface the websites of the Army Public Schools in Nagrota and Sunjuwan – both in Jammu and Kashmir – with content mocking victims of the Pahalgam terror attack.

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