Indian Media Claims Pakistani Hackers Stole 10GB of Sensitive Data in Cyberattacks
Tensions between India and Pakistan are once again on the rise. This time, the battlefield is not just at the borders but also in cyberspace. In the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack, a new digital war seems to have begun. Indian media outlets have recently reported a series of cyberattacks allegedly carried out by Pakistani hackers targeting sensitive defence-related websites.
According to their new agencies, a popular hacker group known as Pakistan Cyber Force claimed the social media platform X (formerly Twitter). According to their posts, they gained access to confidential data from the Military Engineer Services (MES) and the Manohar Parrikar Institute of Defence Studies and Analysis (MP-IDSA).
Indian Media Claims Pakistani Hackers Stole 10GB of Sensitive Data in Cyberattacks
They claim to have stolen over 10 GB of data. This allegedly includes personal details and login credentials of more than 1,600 users linked to the Indian defence research body.
However, Indian authorities have denied these claims. A senior official from MP-IDSA stated that their website was not hacked. They insist there is no breach and all systems remain secure. But doubts remain.
A report by News18 paints a different picture. It suggests that the attack may have compromised sensitive user data. Details such as email IDs, passwords, and other personal records of defence officials could have been exposed.
It doesn’t stop there. Pakistani hackers reportedly attempted to deface the website of Armoured Vehicle Nigam Limited (AVNL) — a major Indian defence manufacturer under the Ministry of Defence.
Sources told NDTV that the AVNL website was immediately taken offline. A full security audit is now underway to find out how much damage may have been done.
But this is just one part of a larger wave of cyber attacks.
On May 1, two Pakistan-based hacker groups — Cyber Group HOAX1337 and National Cyber Crew — attempted to breach several Indian websites. Luckily, Indian cybersecurity agencies detected and blocked the attempts before they could cause damage.
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Yet, the provocations continued. According to reports, hackers tried to deface the websites of Army Public School, Nagrota and Sunjuwan. They posted disturbing messages mocking the victims of the Pahalgam attack. Another target was a site providing healthcare services to Indian ex-servicemen, which was also defaced.
However, these are unverified claims made solely by Indian sources. Pakistan has made no official statement acknowledging or accepting involvement in any such activities. So far, there is no concrete evidence provided to support these allegations, and no confirmation has come from independent cybersecurity bodies. It appears that these accusations may be part of ongoing tensions and narrative-building between the two countries, with Pakistan having no confirmed role in the reported cyber incidents.
