Critical military data pertaining to the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) was stolen from computer systems located at the PAF headquarters in Islamabad in a case that was prevented from receiving widespread media coverage. The aforementioned incident occurred in May, but information about it was leaked earlier this month in Pakistan. According to Pakistani and Chinese organizations that collaborate in the field of cyber security, the aforementioned cyber “espionage” was carried out by “India friendly groups.”

Officials from these nations claim that the organizations that broke into the Pakistani military systems downloaded malware, which, once it was installed in the target computer system, was able to access the encrypted files that were stored there, as well as a large number of other documents and presentations. The aforementioned malware was delivered to the victim by being included in emails that appeared to be received by superior officers. The files that were transferred from the military computer systems included some that dealt with nuclear power plants, military communications, and satellite communications.

According to statements made by Pakistani and Chinese officials, close to 15,000 files in total have been stolen, some of which contained correspondence sent by Pakistan’s highest-ranking defence departments.

Unverified sources state that Pakistan-based experts were able to locate the incursion later on the basis of hints provided by the actual hackers who infiltrated the networks. According to the same researchers, a similar attack that targeted Pakistan’s naval assets was carried out in March.

According to conversations between Chinese and Pakistani authorities who have been tasked with handling this infiltration, the same entities conducted a similar exercise earlier this week, and it was still ongoing as of the time the story was published.

State-sponsored Chinese media reported earlier this month that separate cyberattacks were launched on Chinese and Pakistani military facilities last year by another organization, which it claimed was based in India. The reports stated that the attacks had “damaged infrastructure” relating to energy in addition to obtaining data. If the Chinese and Pakistani officials’ allegations are accurate, this would be one of the first instances in which vital material pertaining to the militaries of these two nations has been penetrated by groups who are purported “pro-India.”

Due to officials’ lack of knowledge regarding how to prevent these cyberattacks, China and Pakistan have been conducting long-running cyberattacks against Indian military and commercial enterprises.

DISCLAIMER: The author is solely responsible for the views expressed in this article. The author carries the responsibility for citing and/or licensing of images utilized within the text.