PT Pindad, a state-owned firm in Indonesia that specializes in military and commercial items, has suffered a data breach. Pindad provides firearms and munitions to the Indonesian National Armed Forces. As per reports, an unauthorized actor, which goes by the garb of UsNsA has been trying to sell the stolen data on a dark web forum.
At the time of writing, the stolen data included crucial information about the defense manufacturing sector in Indonesia. According to sources, the compromised data included PNS ID, NIP (Employee Identification Number), TPP (Additional Employee Income), Back Degree, Front Degree, Title, NIP Boss, and other important information about the sector.
PT Pindad
Pindad has been an integral part of the Indonesian defense sector and involved in many state-level projects, aiding the Indonesian army with products and weapons since 1975. During the Indonesian invasion of East Timor, Pindad became a major supplier of defense products to the Indonesian military and other countries in the region. Some of the products that Pindad produces include small arms, armored vehicles, aircraft, and naval systems.
In the last few years, threat actors have become active in upfront confrontations with governments from around the world. This includes the recent defacement spree by Indonesian hackers that targeted over 50 companies within a few weeks. The malicious threat actor penetrated the company’s websites and placed their custom messages on them, promoting cyber vandalism on the internet.
Moreover, in August 2022, another defense products manufacturer, Lockheed Martin, became the target of the Russian threat actor Killnet. Lockheed Martin was in charge of manufacturing the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS). While the Russian hackers used a double whammy attack to target the American firm, the Indonesian defense manufacturer was stripped of their data and made available on dark web forums.
There are many reasons why hackers may target defense companies. One reason is that defense companies often have valuable intellectual property, such as new weapons systems or technology plans.
Hackers may attempt to steal this information to sell it to other countries or organizations. In addition, hackers may target defense companies to disrupt their operations or gain access to sensitive information that could be used to compromise national security.
In some idealistic scenarios, hackers may also target defense companies to cause damage or chaos, either for ideological reasons, simply for the sake of causing disruption, or bringing glory to their nations.