GUWAHATI, Oct 29 - Cyber experts, investigating the recent hacking of Assam Government websites, have traced the link of the group of hackers to Pakistan, which investigators said, had cashed in on �security vulnerability� of the websites.
Investigators said, �As suspected, a group from Pakistan was found to be behind the recent act of defacing State Government websites. Faisal 1337 is the name of the group. As most Government websites in Assam and also across the country do not adhere to the vulnerability security audit requirements (update), the hackers tend to find a way in easily.�
�This group has hacked into hundreds of Government and non-Government websites in the last one year. In Assam too, more than 50 websites, including those belonging to educational institutes and online shopping websites were hacked in the last 12 months or so,� sources told The Assam Tribune.
�If the vulnerability security audit is updated at regular intervals, it minimises the chances of hacking or defacing of websites. Unfortunately, the security audit was not updated in most cases. It has become a must now,� sources opined.
More than 25 websites of Assam Government departments were temporarily withdrawn earlier this month after a hacking group ran into the official website of the National Informatics Centre (NIC) at Dispur as a result of which a number of State Government websites got defaced.
The affected websites include those belonging to Assam Police and Education Department, besides a number of important Government websites, after which the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Assam Police had registered a case in this regard.
�There are reports of many groups coming together to hack Government websites in India. This is part of the cyber warfare which has intensified among various countries, including India,� official sources told The Assam Tribune.
