DRDO data has allegedly surfaced on the dark web and is being offered for sale for $8,000, a Kerala-based cyber intelligence company has claimed, according to a TOI report. DRDO said it is verifying the authenticity of the report.
The report stated that the alleged data has been advertised for sale for the past two weeks. Sample documents released publicly as proof of the alleged breach appear to contain restricted technical information, including material purportedly related to approvals or signatures of senior scientists.
DRDO verifying authenticity of claims
DRDO sources said they are verifying the authenticity of the report.
Cybersecurity experts have called for a detailed forensic examination to determine whether the sample documents are genuine and whether the data, if authentic, originated from DRDO or another defence organisation.
Dark web monitoring led to discovery
The alleged data listing was identified by Alibi Global, a Thiruvananthapuram-based cyber forensics and defence solutions company that provides dark web monitoring and cyber intelligence services to government agencies and critical infrastructure organisations.
The company said it regularly monitors underground forums, ransomware leak sites and dark web marketplaces to detect potential threats involving sensitive Indian information.
According to Alibi Global Technical Director V K Bhadran, the company immediately informed the Intelligence Bureau after identifying documents that appeared to be highly sensitive. He said the authenticity of the documents and the extent of any possible exposure would need to be established by the relevant government agencies.
Previous hacking claim cited
The report also referred to an incident in March last year when the hacking group Babuk Locker 2.0 claimed responsibility for infiltrating DRDO's systems.
However, defence and security authorities had then stated that a review of the released documents found no evidence of any breach of India's security systems. They had said the files appeared to have been obtained from an internet-connected computer belonging to an IAS officer rather than from DRDO's systems.
(With inputs from TOI)
