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September 6, 2012 Inquiry & Analysis Series No. 880

Pakistani Cyber Armies Hacking Indian Websites, Using Twitter, Facebook And YouTube To Cause Ethnic Conflicts In India

September 6, 2012 | By Tufail Ahmad*
Pakistan | Inquiry & Analysis Series No. 880

In recent years, a number of Pakistani hacker groups have come to the notice of the Indian government for their continuing attacks on Indian websites, and, most recently, for their role in using social media networks to trigger a mass exodus from major Indian cities by people of northeastern Indian ethnic origin. India has expressed concern that the use of social networking websites by Pakistani groups could trigger ethnic conflicts in India. This paper will examine some key Pakistani cyber groups and the nature of their anti-India activities in recent years, revealing also how their motives are underpinned by antisemitism and by a sense of global Islamism.

Three key Pakistani cyber groups have attracted the attention of Indian security agencies: the Pakistan Cyber Army (PCA), the Pak Cyber Pyrates (PCP), and the Muslim Liberation Army (MLA). All three are active against India, with some of their members based also in Saudi Arabia, the U.S., and Europe. Of the three, the PCA and PCP are the leading group of Pakistani hackers and have spearheaded a series of attacks on the websites of Indian security and intelligence agencies, businesses, airlines and political groups. These groups have also hacked websites based in different countries, notably Australia, Israel, the U.S., Denmark, and South Africa. ...

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