Pakistan: A hacker, who is believed to be part of Pakistan’s ISI, compromised systems belonging to nearly 100 Indian officials. The hacker utilized a fake Facebook profile to lure in targets. They then used that profile to share photos and videos which were laden with multiple malware variants. One of those pieces of malware was hidden in a malicious version of the Whisper chat application. The officials spanned a number of different organizations within the Indian defense industry, including the Indian Army, Air Force, Navy, paramilitary forces and state police. It is currently believed by Indian intelligence that this is the same hacker who is responsible for the leak of classified data on the BrahMos missile system in 2018, but they did not indicate if that was tied to this campaign. This comes at a poor time as it follows closely on the heels of easing tensions between India and Pakistan.
Analyst Notes
While both nations have been attempting to ease tensions and negotiate a continued peace, this could possibly slow the easing of tensions. This, coupled with recent problems popping up again in Kashmir, could possibly lead to more disruptions for businesses along the India-Pakistan border.
