14 DAY TRIAL // The Pakistani government launched an investigation into hacking attacks that left several of its websites defaced recently and plans to contact the Interpol if the perpetrators are from abroad.
On November 26, a group identifying itself as the Indian Cyber Army (ICA), compromised 36 Pakistani government websites, including those of the country’s foreign ministry, navy and National Accountability Bureau.
The hackers left behind a message that read “homage to the martyrs of the terror attacks,” a reference to the November 20, 2008 Mumbai attacks orchestrated by Pakistani Islamic terrorists.
This initiated a cyber war between Indian and Pakistani hackers, who retaliated last week by defacing over 270 sites belonging to companies, educational institutions and government organizations from India.
The hacks were claimed in the name of Pakistan Cyber Army (PCA) and one of the most prominent victims was the website of India’s top law enforcement agency, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
The CBI already launched a criminal investigation into the attack and according to Times of India, the Pakistani government reacted by naming the deputy director of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) as lead investigator for the attacks.
Furthermore, if the defacements are traced back to Indian hackers, the government plants to ask the assistance of the Interpol to in order pursue them.
Earlier this week, the Indian Cyber Army engaged in a second round of attacks which resulted in the defacement of ogra.org.pk, the website of the Pakistani Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA).
The Pakistan Cyber Army will likely retaliate again and it’s not certain that the threat of being investigated by law enforcement agencies will force them to cool down.
This summer the Pakistani Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) arrested several high-ranking members of a notorious group of defacers known as PAKbugs. Despite those efforts, the group is still very much active today.