Pak-Based Hackers Target Army Public Schools, Other Indian Sites
The provocation continues. Attempts to hack Indian websites by Pakistan-based cyber actors are on the rise since last week’s Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives, the deadliest attack on civilians in Jammu and Kashmir in decades.
The targeted sites on Tuesday included Army Public School (APS) Srinagar, APS Ranikhet, the Army Welfare Housing Organisation (AWHO) database, and the Indian Air Force Placement Organisation portal. The hackers, operating as “IOK Hacker”, attempted to deface these websites.
The attacks involved efforts to deface pages, disrupt services with a denial-of-service assault on APS Srinagar, and access personal information.
A Pakistan flag was visible right in the centre of the website pages, declaring “SITE HACKED”, followed by a provocative message about Kashmir. A person in the centre with a Guy Fawkes mask (also known as the V for Vendetta mask or Anonymous mask) sits there pointing a finger at the viewer.
“Indian Army Housing Society complete data leak… we know your home address now,” read another message, with the same template: a Pak Flag, a message about Kashmir and a person with the Guy Fawkes mask.
There have been multiple hacking attempts from Pakistan in the last few days, largely to autonomous institutions associated with the armed forces.
India’s cyber-security systems detected and traced the intrusions to Pakistan in real time. All affected sites were isolated, restored, and no operational or classified networks were compromised, an official told NDTV.
“The Indian Army continues to strengthen its cyber defenses to protect its digital infrastructure and personnel welfare,” the official added.
Last week, the website of the Army College of Nursing, an autonomous institution administered by the Army Welfare Education Society, was hacked, allegedly by a Pakistan-based hacker group called Team Insane PK. It left a provocative message about the two-nation theory.
Earlier today, Pakistani hackers also targeted three Rajasthan government websites and defaced them with anti-India messages.
In one of the posts, the hackers, claiming to be part of the ‘Pakistan Cyber Force’, made inflammatory remarks about India, referring to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday reiterated that India will punish those responsible for killing dozens of tourists in the Jammu and Kashmir region, which his government has called an act of terrorism.
That came after India accused Pakistan of involvement and imposed punitive measures, including downgrading diplomatic ties and suspending a crucial water-sharing treaty.
Pakistan has denied any links to the attacks and retaliated by expelling Indian diplomats from Islamabad, closing its airspace to Indian-owned and Indian-operated airlines, and suspending the limited trade between the nations.
