ISLAMABAD: The Cabinet Division has issued a formal cybersecurity advisory to all federal ministries and departments, warning of a suspected cyber attack campaign allegedly linked to the Indian hacker group “SideWinder.”
According to the advisory, the threat involves a sophisticated phishing campaign targeting Pakistani government officials. The malicious emails are designed to extract sensitive information and, in some cases, appear to originate from internal cybersecurity agencies to enhance their credibility and deceive recipients.
Authorities have been instructed to heighten vigilance and strengthen cybersecurity protocols across all departments. The advisory urges the immediate deployment of advanced email filtering tools, malware detection systems, and robust spam controls to counter phishing attempts.
In addition, officials have been advised to conduct awareness training for staff to recognize and avoid phishing and social engineering tactics—especially those disguised as official communications from high-level sources.
The Cabinet Division underscored the importance of a coordinated national response to protect critical government data and infrastructure from cyber threats, particularly those linked to state-backed actors.
