Tech drawings, sensitive maps stolen from ECIL

The latest addition to the 1,000-odd government websites which were hacked in the last three and a half years is the website of Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL).

 The hacker –– identified as “PhrozenMyst” –– allegedly stole sensitive data pertaining to the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) and the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC).

According to reports, the hacker managed to access sensitive ECIL data on August 20. It was uploaded on the website “mega.co.nz.”

Documents in possession of Deccan Herald revealed that the hacker got access to a letter from a director rank official of BARC to Director Technical, Antenna Products and Satcom Division, ECIL.

The letter dated March 3, 2008, discussed design, supply, installation and commissioning of MACE telescope in Ladakh.

“This work order is placed on ECIL for setting up of MACE telescope in Ladakh as per specifications given in the annexure-1 at a total cost of Rs 3,875 lakh, plus taxes and duties,” the letter read. 

The documents also revealed that the hacker had access to detailed technical drawings and specifications of sensor antennas and map of an astrophysics facility at Hanle, Ladakh. Nearly 35 MB of classified documents with secret specifications of the proposed equipment is said to have been compromised.

Even sensitive email conversations between the corporation and the BARC administration were hacked. The hacker also got access to documents pertaining to tracking and command systems, telescopes and sensors which BARC contracted from Isro.

When contacted, Isro officials said they had little information about the episode. A source, however, said they have been advised not to comment on the issue.

Incidentally, the same hacker has been credited with the breaching of a website of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), gaining access to details of about 50,000 users. 

The August 20 episode is not a rare incident of government websites in the country being breached. According to information gathered from the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-in), over 1,000 websites were hacked between January 2010 and March 2013. 

Hacking incidents have gradually increased over the years. While there were 48 such attacks in the first three months of 2013, the number of hackings during 2010, 2011 and 2012 stands at 303, 308 and 371 respectively.

According to a post by the Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, on its intranet, the BARC website was hacked even in 1998 by the “Milworm group.” One of the hackers had then claimed: “It is ironic that India has weapons capable of destroying the world, but they cannot secure a little web server which is connected to their networks.”