A group identifying itself as the ‘Pakistan Cyber Force’ has claimed responsibility for a cyberattack targeting Indian defense institutions, including the Military Engineering Service (MES) and the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (MP-IDSA). The group announced the breach via its account on X (formerly Twitter), suggesting that sensitive data – such as login credentials and personal information of defense personnel – may have been compromised.
In a related incident, the group allegedly defaced the official website of Armoured Vehicle Nigam Limited (AVNL), a public sector undertaking under the Ministry of Defence. The attackers reportedly replaced content on the site with the Pakistan flag and visuals of the Al Khalid tank, a Pakistan-made battle tank.
As a precautionary measure, the AVNL website has been taken offline to allow for a detailed security audit. Officials stated that this action is being taken to assess any damage from the breach attempt and to ensure the integrity of the platform before it is restored.
In a related development, a Pakistani hacking group known as Transparent Tribe (also referred to as APT36) has been linked to a series of cyber espionage campaigns targeting Indian defense officials and state-run defense contractors.
According to a report by Canadian cybersecurity firm BlackBerry, the group has been using phishing emails to deploy information-stealing malware, potentially compromising sensitive data from entities such as Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), and Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML).
