Pakistan-Based Hackers Claim Cyber Breach of Indian Defence Sites
A group identifying itself as Pakistan Cyber Force has claimed responsibility for breaching the digital infrastructure of several Indian defence institutions, raising alarms among cybersecurity officials. The hackers allege they accessed sensitive information from the Military Engineer Services (MES) and the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (MP-IDSA), according to posts shared on X.
The group also reportedly targeted the website of Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited (AVNL), a public sector undertaking under the Ministry of Defence. The hackers defaced the site, replacing content with images of the Pakistan flag and the Al Khalid tank, a main battle tank developed by Pakistan. In response, authorities have taken the AVNL website offline to conduct a comprehensive security audit to evaluate potential damage and ensure the platform’s integrity.
Indian cybersecurity agencies are on high alert, actively monitoring for additional threats, particularly those linked to Pakistan-based actors. The breach claims suggest the attackers may have compromised personal details, including login credentials of defence personnel, though the full extent of the breach is still under investigation.
The Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses has firmly denied the hacking allegations, asserting that its website remains secure. Meanwhile, the X account of Pakistan Cyber Force, which publicized the claims, has been suspended. Screenshots shared by the group allegedly showed the defaced AVNL webpage and a list of names, purportedly of Indian defence personnel, accompanied by the message: “Hacked. Your security is an illusion. MES data owned.” The group further claimed to have extracted over 10 GB of data from approximately 1,600 users associated with the MP-IDSA website.
This incident follows a wave of cyberattacks targeting Indian military and welfare websites after the recent Pahalgam terror attack, which heightened tensions between India and Pakistan. Indian cybersecurity teams are working diligently to detect and mitigate further intrusions, with a focus on safeguarding critical defence infrastructure.