Sensitive Indian military details hacked? Pakistani hackers target Indian defence websites

A Pakistani hacker group claimed that it breached the websites of Indian defence institutions Military Engineer Services and the Manohar Parrikar Institute of Defence Studies and Analysis, and gained access to sensitive information.

Sources in the defence establishment have been quoted as saying that sensitive data, including the login details of defence personnel, may have been compromised, reports NDTV.

Hackers have also tried to breach the website of Armoured Vehicle Nigam Limited, a PSU under the defence ministry. The website of Armoured Vehicle Nigam Limited has been taken down for audit to see if the hacking attempt caused any damage.

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The Pakistan Cyber Force X handle, which is banned in India, posted images of the webpage of Armoured Vehicle Nigam Limited. Another post in the handle reportedly had names of possibly defence personnel, with the message: "Hacked. Your security is illusion. MES data owned."

In the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack, there have been a major escalation in cyberattacks against Indian institutions, particularly those linked to the military and critical infrastructure widely attributed to Pakistan-based hacker groups.

According to media reports, steps have been initiated to strengthen cyber security infrastructure in the country and thwart any such attempts in the future.

"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," ANI quoted a source as saying.

Defence