Madhya Pradesh cyber cops warn media with intelligence against Pakistani 'Hacktivists'

BHOPAL:

Madhya

Pradesh cyber cell headquarters have issued an advisory to all print and television media in the state for an immediate security audit of their portals following intelligence inputs that Pakistan’s cyber hackers may try to take down their websites to flash Pakistani national flag on August 15.


This is being done to avenge similar alleged attempts made by Indian cyber hackers in 2015, 2017 and 2020, say sources in the intelligence agencies.

It’s an ongoing defacement war within the cyber space of the two countries by groups of hackers for more than a decade, they say.

"We have issued an advisory asking media houses to secure their portals against any possible hacking attempts. They have been asked to establish a physical firewall in their network with secure access. They have also been advised to reset their passwords among other points," state cyber chief

Yogesh Chaudhary

told TOI.

On August 14, 2015 a group called 'Hell Shield Hackers', had claimed to have taken down around 100 Pakistani business websites as a "tribute to Indian jawan". They claimed it was a payback to the Pakistan hackers who had hacked many Indian sites (to mark Pakistan’s Independence Day on August 14).

Two years later on the same day, a group of Indian cyber hackers allegedly took down over 500 Pakistani websites, including some major government sites and had posted pro-India content while defacing the websites, said sources in the intelligence agencies.

Again in 2020, over 80 Pakistani websites were hacked and Indian tricolor was flashed on them. They continued hacking one website after another while conveying the message of India's pride.

Some of the major Pakistani news channels had claimed that their channel was hacked. Hackers had attacked TV, following which the channel had started broadcasting the Indian flag along with a message that read ‘Happy Independence Day’, according to the official release by one of the leading Pakistani news channels in 2020. “The Indian flag and the text of ‘Happy Independence Day’ appeared on the commercial running on the screen which remained for some time and then disappeared, a release stated.

Many intelligence officers refer to this cyber war as ‘Hacktivism’ claiming that these cyberattacks are fueled by an ideology which is intended at taking over government or media websites and posting defacing messages on them to embarrass the rival targets.

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