Pakistani Hackers Target Indian Defence Websites Amid Rising Cross-Border Tensions

India and Pakistan and upping the ante against each other following the terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22.

Now, there are reports coming in that Pakistani hackers have attempted to breach Indian defence websites, potentially compromising sensitive information, including login credentials of defence personnel, according to the Indian Army.

The Army stated that a handle on X, identified as 'Pakistan Cyber Force', allegedly accessed confidential data from the Military Engineer Services and the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses.

Additionally, the same group is believed to have tried to deface the official website of Armoured Vehicle Nigam Limited - a Defence Ministry PSU - by displaying the Pakistani flag and images of the Al Khalid tank.

As a precaution, the website was taken offline to undergo a comprehensive security audit aimed at determining the extent of any damage and restoring system integrity, reported India Today.

Cybersecurity teams are now vigilantly monitoring the digital space to detect any further attacks, particularly those suspected to be backed by Pakistan-based threat actors.

The Army emphasised that ongoing surveillance is intended to swiftly detect and neutralise potential future threats.

In response to the situation, robust measures are being implemented to reinforce cybersecurity frameworks, enhance digital defences, and safeguard against further breaches.

These efforts are directed at increasing the resilience of defence-related platforms and improving preparedness against cyber threats.

Following the Pahalgam terror incident on April 22, which claimed 26 lives, there has been a surge in cyber attacks on Indian websites by hacker groups linked to Pakistan. However, officials confirmed that most of these were promptly neutralised.

One such incident involved hacker collectives including 'Cyber Group HOAX1337' and 'National Cyber Crew', who targeted websites of Army Public Schools in Jammu, posting derogatory messages related to the Pahalgam victims.

In another case, a Pakistani hacker group called 'IOK Hacker' attempted to breach several public-facing Army platforms, including those of Army Public Schools in Srinagar and Ranikhet, the Army Welfare Housing Organisation (AWHO) database, and the Indian Air Force's placement portal.

These attempts were thwarted by the Army's cybersecurity systems, which feature real-time monitoring and a strong digital firewall.

Officials also revealed that Pakistan-based hackers have repeatedly tried to infiltrate websites associated with children, veterans, and civilians.