Pakistan’s foreign ministry data allegedly breached by Indian hackers

By Muhammad JuniadPublished On 11 Feb 2023

In what appears to be the latest in a series of cyber-attacks, Indian hackers have reportedly managed to extract data from Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) office.

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

Based on a LinkedIn post shared by Zaki Khalid, an Intelligence Analyst, there has been a potential data leak of Pakistan’s MoFA.

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

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

The authenticity of the data samples has not been confirmed, but Zaki Khalid suggests 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, says Zaki Khalid.

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

The potential breach of Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs highlights the importance of ensuring strong cybersecurity measures and being prepared to address potential threats in the digital space.