High-profile clients' private information, including that of top government officials, was leaked due to a significant cybersecurity incident at Agarwal Packers and Movers Ltd (APML) in India. Concerns over the security of corporate data as well as possible national security implications have been raised by the June 1 incident. An inquiry is still under progress after police filed a formal complaint.
In what could be one of the most sensitive data breaches in recent memory, Agarwal Packers and Movers Ltd (APML), a well-known logistics company with its headquarters located in Sector 60, Noida, has disclosed that private client information, including the addresses and phone numbers of senior government clients, has been stolen.
The intrusion was detected on June 1 after several clients, including prominent bureaucrats, diplomats, and military people, began receiving suspicious, highly targeted phone calls.
"The nature of the calls strongly indicated that the callers had access to specific customer queries and records related to upcoming relocations," the complainant, Jaswinder Singh Ahluwalia, Group President and CEO of APML, stated in the police FIR. He cautioned that this is more than just a disclosure of company data. It has an impact on personal privacy, public trust, and possibly national security.
The company initiated an internal technical inspection, which uncovered traces of unauthorised cyber infiltration, confirming worries regarding a breach. The audit detected collaboration between internal personnel and external cybercriminals. While the scope of the hack is still being investigated, its significance is undeniable: the firm serves India's elite, making the stolen data a potential goldmine for bad actors.
In accordance with Sections 318(4) and 319(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Sections 66C (identity theft) and 66D (impersonation by computer resource) of the Information Technology Act, a formal complaint was filed at the Sector 36 Cyber Crime Police Station.
According to Cyber SHO Ranjeet Singh, they have a detailed complaint with technological proof to back it up. At the moment, their cyber unit is looking through access trails, firewall activity, and internal server records. Due to the nature of clients impacted, the issue is being handled with the highest attention.
The attack has triggered calls for stricter cybersecurity practices in private companies that serve sensitive sectors. While APML has yet to reveal how many people were affected, its internal records allegedly include relocation information for high-level clientele like as judges, intelligence officers, and foreign dignitaries.