Hacking attempt targets govt officials’ phones

Security agencies thwart effort to acquire sensitive data

An attempt to hack the mobile phones of senior government officials and acquire sensitive information has been uncovered by security agencies, the government said on Friday.

The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) issued a statement advising officials to remain vigilant in light of the threat. According to the PMO, the hackers used phishing methods by posing as senior government officials in their attempts.

The statement read, "The involved elements, in the name of senior government officials, made the nefarious attempt to obtain sensitive information from state officials and the bureaucracy."

The hackers attempted to obtain information through WhatsApp by sending mobile-hacking links.

The PMO has instructed all state officials to stay alert and disregard any suspicious messages received. They have also been urged to immediately notify the Cabinet Division upon receiving such messages.

The PMO statement concluded by stating, “Pakistan’s security agencies are fully alert on this matter.”

Read Hackers targeted Pakistani ‘generals, politicians’

Measures are being taken to ensure the safety and security of government officials and to prevent any further breaches.

It is worth noting that back in September of last year, a series of audio recordings were leaked, featuring conversations among key government figures in the Prime Minister's Office. These included phone recordings of then-premier Shehbaz Sharif, PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz besides members of the federal cabinet.

The incident highlighted the need for enhanced cybersecurity measures

Earlier this year, the federal government sent a cybersecurity advisory to all its ministries as well as the provincial departments to take necessary measures to prevent the official data from being hacked or put on the dark web, a media report said.

The advisory had suggested several steps, including the application of two-factor authentication on all email, social media and banking accounts; avoiding installing untrusted software and unnecessary plugins on browsers and never forwarding, or clicking a link shared on email or WhatsApp by unknown sources.

The dark web, or darknet, is a part of the internet that lies beyond the reach of search engines. Users are largely anonymous and untraceable and mainly pay with cryptocurrencies, the report had said, adding that the dark web is being used by criminals, terrorists, hostile intelligence agencies (HIAs) and non-state actors.