News24 Broadcast Allegedly Hijacked by Hackers; Political Video Airs for Hours on North American Feed
A major cyber security scare emerged after the North American feed of Hindi news channel News24 was allegedly compromised, with viewers reporting that a video carrying anti-political system messages replaced the regular broadcast for several hours.
By Satinder Bains
CHANDIGARH: A major cyber security scare emerged after the North American feed of Hindi news channel News24 was allegedly compromised, with viewers reporting that a video carrying anti-political system messages replaced the regular broadcast for several hours.
The video, reportedly accompanied by internet memes and messages claiming that "no system is safe," was attributed to a group identifying itself as "Hind Cyber Ghost." The authenticity of the hackers' claims and the exact manner in which the broadcast was compromised could not be independently verified.
Several viewers in Canada and other parts of North America reported witnessing the unusual transmission. This correspondent also viewed a portion of the altered broadcast in Canada, where the regular programming appeared to have been replaced by the unauthorized video.
As of Tuesday evening, News24 had not issued any official statement confirming or denying a cyberattack or explaining the disruption to its international feed. It also remains unclear whether the alleged breach affected only the channel's overseas distribution or its domestic broadcast infrastructure as well.
Cyber security experts say that if confirmed, the incident would represent a serious breach of broadcast security, raising concerns about the vulnerability of television transmission systems and content distribution networks.
The alleged incident has also revived memories of previous high-profile cyber intrusions targeting prominent Indian digital platforms and social media accounts. In December 2021, hackers briefly compromised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's official Twitter (now X) account and posted messages promoting cryptocurrency before access was restored. Other organisations, including the Indian Medical Association (IMA), the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA), and Mann Deshi Mahila Bank, have also reported cyberattacks in recent years.
While those earlier incidents primarily involved social media and websites, a successful compromise of a television broadcast feed would represent a different and potentially more serious category of cyberattack because of its ability to reach large audiences in real time.
The incident underscores the growing sophistication of cyber threats facing media organisations, whose digital production systems, satellite uplinks, streaming platforms and distribution networks have become increasingly interconnected.
Authorities have not yet announced whether any cybercrime investigation has been initiated into the alleged incident. Until an official confirmation is issued, the circumstances surrounding the disruption, the identity of those responsible and the extent of the breach remain unclear.
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