Pakistan-based hacker groups claim cyberattack on India, multiple defence websites hit amid soaring tensions over Pahalgam attack

Several Indian defence websites were affected in a major cyberattack by groups based out of Pakistan just a fortnight after the terrorist attack in Pahalgam that has sparked tensions between the neighbouring countries. It has been reported that sensitive data of military personnel, including their login credentials, may have been compromised in the massive attack.

Pak group behind attack
An X account that goes by the name Pakistan Cyber Force has said that hackers gained access to sensitive data of the Military Engineer Services (MES) and the Manohar Parrikar Institute of Defence Studies and Analysis (MP-IDSA). The group also tried to deface the website of the Armoured Vehicle Nigam Limited (AVNL), an undertaking under the Union Ministry of Defence. The AVNL website has since been taken down for a thorough audit to assess the extent of potential damage from the hacking bid.

Cyberspace being monitored
The X handle, which has since been withheld in India, had posted pictures of a page from the AVNL website. In another post, apparently carrying a list of names of Indian defence personnel, hackers wrote, "Your security is illusion. MES data owned." They further claimed to have accessed over 10 GB of data concerning 1,600 users on the website of Manohar Parrikar Institute of Defence Studies and Analysis.
Government cybersecurity experts are currently monitoring the cyberspace to identify any additional hacking attempts, while efforts are underway to strengthen security infrastructure, media reports said.

Previous hacking bid
The new hacking attempt has come days after the websites of several Army Public Schools in Kashmir, the Army Welfare Housing Organisation database, and the Indian Air Force Placement Organisation portal had been attacked by hackers.

India-Pakistan tensions
Tensions between India and Pakistan have been on the rise since the Pahalgam attack in late-April when terrorists opened fire at tourists, killing over a dozen people. The attack has led to a diplomatic crisis between the two countries as New Delhi accuses authorities in Pakistan of backing terrorists.