Multiple cyber attacks on Indian websites from Pak reported after Pahalgam
Apart from defacing the pages, the hackers tried to disrupt services launching a denial-of-service assault on APS Srinagar and accessing personal information
As tension continues to soar between India and Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack that left 26 people dead, multiple cyber-attacks on Indian websites including those belonging to the government have been reported on Tuesday (April 29).
Also read: 'What have we done?' Pakistanis lament as medical visa deadline ends
The websites that were targeted on Tuesday included the Army Public School (APS) Srinagar, APS Ranikhet, the Army Welfare Housing Organisation (AWHO) database, and the Indian Air Force Placement Organisation portal. According to the news agency ANI, the Pakistani hackers, operating under the moniker "IOK Hacker", attempted to deface these websites.
Services disrupted
Apart from defacing the pages, the hackers tried to disrupt services launching a denial-of-service assault on APS Srinagar and accessing personal information.
Multiple media reports said that the hacked websites showed a Pakistan flag at the centre of the pages and displayed the message "SITE HACKED". It also displayed a provocative message about Jammu and Kashmir along with a person wearing a mask pointing a finger at the viewers.
"Indian Army Housing Society complete data leak... we know your home address now," read another message, as per NDTV.
Following the Pahalgam attack and subsequent retaliatory diplomatic measures by India including putting the Indus Water Treaty in abeyance, multiple hacking attempts originating from Pakistan have mainly targeted websites of the autonomous institutions associated with the Indian military.
Attacks traced to Pak
The attacks have been traced to Pakistan, NDTV quoted a government official. The websites of the Army College of Nursing, an autonomous institution administered by the Army Welfare Education Society were hacked by a Pakistan-based hacker group named Team Insane PK and the hackers posted a provocative comment on the two-nation theory on the website.
Also read: J&K: 48 tourist destinations shut after terror warning
India has accused Pakistan of being involved in the Pahalgam attack. Seeking to counter India’s punitive diplomatic measures, Pakistan has closed airspace to Indian airlines. It has also threatened that any attempt to divert its share of water under the Indus Water Treaty will be treated as an “act of war”.