Cyber Incident Victim: M. Aslam Sons
Date:
Jan 2016
Location:
Pakistan
Summary
Indian hackers known as IBH defaced multiple Pakistani websites, including a leather manufacturing company, as retaliation for a terrorist attack on an Indian military base that resulted in casualties, notably Lt. Col. Niranjan Kumar. The attackers dedicated their actions to the deceased soldier's daughter, replacing site content with a tribute message and image honoring the victims, targeting both governmental and private entities such as a horse remount institution, a bar council, and a kitchen appliance retailer. This cyber operation mirrored prior hacktivist activities following earlier cross-border conflicts, emphasizing symbolic retaliation rather than significant infrastructure disruption.
| CIA Posture | Motives | Tactics, Techniques & Procedures |
|---|---|---|
| Available to members | 2 motives | 1 technique |
| Threat Actor | Type | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 1 actor | Available to members | Available to members |
Description
On January 8, 2016, the Indian hacking group IBH (Indian Black Hats) defaced seven Pakistani websites in retaliation for the terrorist attack on the Pathankot Indian Air Force Station. The attack, which occurred earlier that month, involved assailants wearing Indian Army uniforms who killed seven security personnel and one civilian. Among the victims was NSG Commando Lt. Col. Niranjan Kumar, who died while attempting to defuse a grenade during the incident. Indian authorities later confirmed that the terrorists, affiliated with the Jaish-e-Mohammed militant group, had communicated with individuals in Pakistan prior to the assault. The hackers explicitly framed their actions as a tribute to Lt. Col. Kumar and his two-year-old daughter Vismaya, whose image they incorporated into defacement messages.
The affected websites included Pakistani governmental, educational, and commercial entities: a government horse remount institution, a government caring store and canteen, the Pakistan Bar Council, the Centre for Pakistan and Gulf Studies, the SOLP Institute of Modern Languages, FOTILE (a kitchen appliance retailer), and M. Aslam Sons (a leather goods manufacturer). IBH left a written homage on each site stating, "This Attack is dedicated for VismayA , the Daughter of NSG Commando Lt Col Niranjan !! A Big Salute from team IBH To the familys of brave soldiers who lost their life in Pathankot Attack !! A Small Tribute to those Brave Soldiers who Laid their Precious Life for our Country and our People !!!" The operation deliberately avoided high-value government portals, focusing instead on lower-profile targets. This mirrored prior hacktivist activity by Indian groups, including a 2008 campaign that defaced 125 Pakistani sites following the Mumbai attacks by Lashkar-e-Taiba militants. No technical details regarding intrusion methods, detection timelines, or restoration efforts were disclosed in available reporting.