Hawk Eye app hacker arrested by Telangana police
Hyderabad: In a significant breakthrough, the Telangana Cyber Security Bureau(TGCSB) has apprehended a hacker involved in breaching the data of the Hawk Eye application of the Police Department.
The police have arrested 20-year-old-student, Jatin Kumar from Greater Noida on Saturday. In a series of data breaches Hawk Eye application, TSCOP and SMS services of Telangana state police were allegedly hacked. Subsequently, Telangana police booked a case and started investigation.
The TGCSB investigation team hopped in on the suspect Jatin Kumar at Delhi. The team reached the national capital and arrested the hacker, who had claimed to have posted the compromised data on a public platform for a price.
Investigation revealed that the hacker had posted details of the breach on databreachforum.st, offering the compromised data for sale at $150 USD. He provided the Telegram IDs Adm1nfr1end and Adm1nfr1ends for interested buyers to contact him regarding the Hawk Eye and TSCOP data, respectively.
Despite his attempts to mask his identity, TGCSB personnel utilized social engineering techniques to track him down in Delhi. Further probe revealed that the arrested individual has a history of cybercrimes, having been previously involved in a similar case of hacking and was arrested by New Delhi police. Last year, the accused had also leaked data regarding Aadhaar cards and critical information related to other agencies.
20-yr-old student from #Delhi arrested for Hacking #HawkEye and #TSCOP applications of #TelanganaPolice.
The hacker Jatin Kumar sitting in Noida kept the Telangana police on their toes for the past few days. #CyberCrime #CyberSecurity #Hacking #Hacker #Hyderabad #Telangana pic.twitter.com/CxuPCL5vtA
— Surya Reddy (@jsuryareddy) June 9, 2024
No sensitive data is compromised
The Telangana police claimed that no sensitive/financial data of any user has been compromised. The Hawkeye mobile application only retains user information such as mobile numbers, addresses, and email IDs as part of its data repository. Prima-facie, it is suspected that because of a weak / compromised password, the intruder might have obtained access to certain segments of Hawkeye data by generating a report.
Further Telangana police rebuked the claim that TSCOP gave Data to any third party. “As far as the TSCOP is concerned, this application has been solely utilized for in-house tasks, guaranteeing no collection of confidential/financial user data. It is a fact that TSCOP does not collect any Visitor / Hotel Management Data, at all. Hence, it is absolutely incorrect to say that TSCOP pushed / gave such Data to any third party” said Telanagan police in an official statement.
In the case of the SMS server URL of the Hyderabad City Police, the intruder claims are entirely false as the URL has been defunct and unsubscribed since April 2022, with Hyderabad City Police ceasing its usage long before that.
In addition to investigating the data breach incident, we have also initiated comprehensive monitoring, vulnerability assessments and penetration testing across all police internal and external networks, web and mobile applications, as well as cloud and endpoints to identify and address any security weaknesses, so as to prevent any future breach.
“The hacker was apprehended on Saturday, and will be brought to Hyderabad on a transit remand.The probe is ongoing, with efforts to identify any additional accomplices involved in this case” said Telangana police.
CM Revanth Reddy reorganizes disaster management for Greater Hyderabad
HYDERABAD: Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has decided to assign critical responsibilities to the Disaster Management Department within Greater Hyderabad. He has directed officials to implement structural changes and redistribute responsibilities accordingly. In a review meeting at the Secretariat on Monday evening, the Chief Minister discussed the reorganization with officials from Municipal Administration, HMDA, and Musi Development.
Expansion of disaster management responsibilities
Recognizing the geographic expansion of Hyderabad, the Chief Minister ordered the Disaster Management Department to extend its jurisdiction to the Outer Ring Road. He suggested including GHMC, 27 surrounding municipalities and corporations, and 33 gram panchayats within its service area. The department will be renamed the Hyderabad Disaster Response and Assets Monitoring Protection (HYDRA). The Chief Minister proposed appointing a DIG-level officer as the director and SP-level officers as additional directors. He also recommended special teams from GHMC, HMDA, the Water Board, city traffic, and other departments to join this new division.
The Chief Minister emphasized the need for the Disaster Management Department to offer continuous services to city residents, not just during floods or emergencies. HYDRA should actively address all issues faced by Hyderabad’s citizens, including preserving the city’s tanks and ponds, protecting government properties from encroachments, and managing hoardings and flex banners. Additionally, HYDRA will oversee water pipelines, electricity supply lines, drainage, flood management, and traffic control.
Focus on heritage and infrastructure projects
Chief Minister Reddy directed the acceleration of the Musi River Development Project, aiming to elevate Hyderabad’s international reputation. He stressed the importance of working towards the government’s goal of transforming this project into a landmark. He also ordered officials to take necessary actions to restore historical buildings and structures within the city. The GHMC presented a PowerPoint on various heritage sites, such as the City Library, Charminar Ayurvedic Hospital, and Nizamia Observatory etc. The Chief Minister encouraged exploring ways to develop these sites for tourism and integrating feasible ones into the Musi River Development Project.
The Chief Minister instructed Chief Secretary Shantikumar to draft a comprehensive reorganization plan, including staffing, duties, and budget allocations for HYDRA. He also emphasized identifying key areas where the Disaster Management Department can enhance its operations.
The meeting included Chief Secretary Shantikumar, Principal Secretary of Municipal Administration and Urban Development Danakishore, GHMC Commissioner Amrapali, GHMC Vigilance Disaster Management Commissioner A.V. Ranganath, and Hyderabad Water Board MD Ashok Reddy.
