Rewterz Threat Update – Pakistan Supreme Court’s Website Recovered After Cyber Attack

Severity

High

Analysis Summary

Following a cyberattack, the Pakistani Supreme Court’s official website has been restored.

The unknown attackers seized control of the official website of the Supreme Court (SC) in the morning and uploaded a message saying, “Our spring sale has started.”

When it was discovered that the Supreme Court’s official website had been the victim of a cyber attack, it sparked concern among web users and Supreme Court officials alike. The hacking incident, which saw a message posted on the Supreme Court’s home page, was shared by multiple social media users who expressed their shock and disapproval.

In a short period, government IT professionals were able to restore the website. 

The COVID-19 advisory was posted to the web shortly after the website had fully recovered, even though there are now hardly any open cases in Islamabad and it is advised that only those who are concerned should attend the court.

It’s unknown whether any information was gathered from the website or how long it was down until it was recovered.

While cyber attacks are, unfortunately, commonplace in the digital age, the Supreme Court incident serves as a stark reminder of the importance of taking action to protect digital information and assets. It is essential for organizations and individuals alike to invest in security measures, such as strong passwords and two-factor authentication, to help protect against cybercriminals. Taking these steps will help ensure that private and confidential data is secure, and will help to protect users from malicious actors.

Impact

• Web Defacement
• Unauthorized Access

Remediation

1. Keep software and systems up-to-date: Make sure that your website’s software, such as content management systems, web servers, and plugins, are updated with the latest security patches to prevent known vulnerabilities.
2. Use strong passwords: Encourage users to use strong, complex passwords, and enforce password policies that require regular password changes and prohibit the use of easily guessable passwords.
3. Implement access controls: Restrict access to sensitive parts of the website, such as the backend administration area, to only authorized users who have a legitimate need to access it.
4. Regularly monitor website activity: Set up monitoring tools that can detect any unusual activity on the website, such as changes to files, modifications to the website’s appearance, or unauthorized access attempts.
5. Backup website data regularly: Regularly backup website data to ensure that it can be quickly restored in the event of a successful attack.
6. Implement Content Security Policy (CSP): A CSP can help to prevent cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks, which are a common way that attackers deface websites. CSP specifies which sources of content are allowed to be loaded by the browser, which helps to prevent the injection of malicious scripts.
7. Use web application firewalls (WAF): A WAF can help to prevent attacks by filtering traffic and blocking malicious requests.
8. Develop an incident response plan: Prepare a plan that outlines the steps to be taken in the event of a website defacement attack, including who should be notified, what actions should be taken to mitigate the attack, and how to restore the website to its original state.

Website defacement attacks can be prevented by implementing strong security measures, such as regularly updating software and security patches, using strong passwords, and limiting access to sensitive parts of the website. It is also important to monitor the website for any signs of unauthorized access or unusual activity. By implementing these remediations, website owners can reduce the likelihood of a website defacement attack and limit the damage if an attack does occur.