Indian Origin AI Tech
ISLAMABAD: The federal government has advised all informational technology (IT) and financial institutions, including regulators, to avoid collaborating, installing, and using Indian-origin artificial intelligence (AI) and information and communication technology (ICT) products.
The government issued a “cybersecurity advisory” to federal and provincial ministries, including sectoral regulators, warning of a potential threat to Pakistan’s critical information infrastructure (CII) posed by these products.
Furthermore, the use of Indian origin AI tech like security products and solutions was considered a constant, concealed threat to Pakistan’s CII, particularly the banking sector, for two reasons.
First, there was a possibility of backdoors or malware in these products that could collect logs, data traffic analysis, and personal identifiable information (PII). Second, it raised concerns about direct Indian ingress into Pakistan’s CII through technical means and access control with passive monitoring capability.
Additionally, the government directed them to consult with the Pakistan Software House Association (P@SHA) to explore suitable economical alternatives from Pakistani technical companies.
US Company Suspects India Used Its Software for Espionage on Pakistan and China
Two years ago, US-based company Exodus Intelligence, headquartered in Texas, accused India of using its “zero-day” security vulnerabilities to spy on Pakistan and China.
In addition, Exodus CEO Logan Brown stated that India selected a Windows vulnerability from their research, allowing deep access to Microsoft’s operating system, for malicious purposes. In response, Exodus cut off India’s access to their zero-day research and collaborated with Microsoft to patch the vulnerabilities.
Brown emphasized that while they don’t restrict usage, they disapproved of India’s indiscriminate targeting of Pakistan and China.
ISPR Identifies Major Cyber Attack by India Targeting Government and Military Officials’ Devices
In 2020, Pakistan’s intelligence agencies detected a significant security breach where Indian hackers targeted the phones and electronic devices of government officials and military personnel.
In addition, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) issued a statement, disclosing that Indian intelligence agencies engaged in various cybercrimes, including deceitful fabrication by hacking personal mobiles and technical gadgets.
During that time, all government departments received advisory notices to identify security weaknesses and improve cybersecurity measures.
