Pakistan media blames Indian group for foreign ministry data hack

The hackers gained unauthorised access to the ministry's systems and were able to extract a significant amount of data

Islamabad: In what appears to be the latest in a series of cyber attacks, Indian hackers have reportedly managed to extract data from Pakistans Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) office, Samaa TV reported.

The hackers gained unauthorised access to the ministry’s systems and were able to extract a significant amount of data.

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Based on a LinkedIn post shared by Zaki Khalid, an intelligence analyst, there has been a potential data leak of Pakistan’s MoFA, Samaa TV reported.

The Sidewinder group, allegedly based out of India, has released sample datasets of a total of 7.5 TB that is believed to have been breached from the ministry’s systems, the report said.

The leaked files also include WhatsApp conversations between the members of the Pakistan Consulate in Barcelona.

The authenticity of the data samples has not been confirmed, but Zaki Khalid suggested that the matter warrants a thorough technical audit of MoFA’s systems and networks, including the likelihood of certain officers’ smartphones being compromised.

The sample datasets have been released on one of the group’s Telegram channels.

The timing of this potential data leak is notable, as India’s Ministry of External Affairs was recently reported to have faced a similar breach by an unidentified hacker.

This breach could be a tit-for-tat response, which may have been perceived as originating from Pakistan, said Zaki Khalid, Samaa TV reported.

It is important to note the Indo-Pak rivalry and previous instances of Indian hackers attacking Pakistan’s cybersecurity space, which add a layer of complexity to the situation, the report said.