Bharat: In a concerning development the Twitter handle “Pakistan Cyber Force” has alleged that it has successfully breached critical Indian defence institutions including the Military Engineering Services (MES) and the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses. The cyberattack if validated may have exposed sensitive personnel information and login credentials of individuals associated with India’s defence architecture.
The hackers reportedly targeted systems containing confidential data raising fears of potential misuse or exploitation. This incident has set off alarms across the defence cyber-intelligence ecosystem prompting swift action from concerned authorities.
In a separate yet related act the cyber group also attempted to deface the official website of Armoured Vehicle Nigam Limited (AVNL) a Public Sector Undertaking under the Ministry of Defence. The website before being taken offline was reportedly tampered with displaying the Pakistani national flag alongside visuals of the Al Khalid tank a main battle tank used by Pakistan's military.
As an immediate countermeasure the AVNL website has been taken offline to undergo a comprehensive forensic audit. Cybersecurity teams are rigorously assessing the integrity of the platform to identify vulnerabilities and gauge the extent of potential compromise.
Simultaneously Indian cybersecurity agencies are on heightened alert conducting round-the-clock surveillance of cyberspace to detect and neutralize any subsequent cyber offensives. Sources within the security apparatus indicate that these attacks bear hallmarks of state-sponsored cyber warfare potentially originating from Pakistan-linked threat actors.
Authorities have emphasized that necessary countermeasures are being executed to bolster national cyber defences. This includes fortifying IT infrastructure deploying advanced threat detection systems and enhancing coordination between defence and cybersecurity agencies.
This incident underscores the escalating nature of cyber threats in the geopolitical arena particularly as adversaries seek to exploit digital vulnerabilities to undermine national security. India's cyber command remains committed to safeguarding its digital sovereignty and ensuring that such intrusions are met with robust defensive and if necessary retaliatory action.