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The Cabinet Division has issued a cybersecurity advisory warning Pakistani officials of an alleged Indian-backed phishing campaign targeting sensitive government institutions.
The alert outlines a serious threat from a hacker group known as “SideWinder,” suspected of having links to Indian cyber intelligence. This group has been active in South Asia for years and is now reportedly focusing on Pakistani state departments through deceptive cyber tactics.
According to the advisory, the attackers are using phishing emails that impersonate trusted institutions — including Pakistan’s own cybersecurity departments — to trick officials into sharing access credentials. These messages are carefully crafted to appear legitimate, making the attack especially difficult to detect.
The campaign is believed to be part of a larger pattern of cyber espionage aimed at breaching official communication networks and collecting classified information. SideWinder is known for using social engineering methods to manipulate targets into compromising national cybersecurity.
To counter the growing threat, the Cabinet Division has recommended urgent technical upgrades. These include spam filters, malware detection systems, and proactive email server monitoring. The advisory also calls for routine cybersecurity audits and real-time surveillance of suspicious digital activity across departments.
Beyond technical solutions, the advisory stresses the importance of employee training to build cyber awareness and reduce the risks posed by phishing attempts. Officials are urged to remain cautious when opening unexpected emails and to verify the legitimacy of senders before clicking links or downloading attachments.
The warning highlights a growing need for stronger digital defenses across all sectors of government, particularly as regional tensions extend into cyberspace.
