Shillong, September 28: The official website of the Canadian Armed Forces experienced a temporary shutdown on Wednesday.
As reported by The Telegraph, a group of hackers known as ‘Indian Cyber Force’ claimed responsibility for the cyber attack on the site, formerly announcing it on Twitter (now X).
The disruption commenced around noon but was swiftly resolved. Daniel Le Bouthillier, the head of media relations at the Department of National Defence, confirmed this to The Globe and Mail.
On X, the Indian Cyber Force declared, “Canadian Airforce Website has been taken down” and provided a screenshot displaying the website’s error message.
According to The Globe and Mail’s report, while some desktop users managed to access the site, most mobile devices were unable to do so.
It’s important to note that the affected website is distinct and isolated from the Government of Canada and the Department of National Defence’s public websites and internal networks. Le Bouthillier reassured that there were no signs of broader impacts on their systems.
The Canadian Forces, responsible for all military operations in Canada, including the navy, special command groups, air, and space operations, are currently conducting an investigation into the incident.
Notably, the Indian Cyber Force had issued a threat to Canada on September 21 via social media, warning of their intentions to exert their influence on Canadian cyberspace.