Categories: News

British intelligence agency hacked Pakistan Internet Exchange

British’s intelligence agency GCHQ had reportedly gained access to Pakistan Internet Exchange as revealed by The Intercept. According to the article, GCHQ has the ability to tap on any Internet user residing in Pakistan and “re-route selected traffic across international links towards GCHQ’s passive collection systems.” This happened because of a massive hacking plan called Computer Network Exploitation operations which occurred prior to 2008.

GCHQ targeted Cisco manufactured routers (common in Pakistan) during its hacking operations. Cisco has been known to be associated with intelligence agencies and their cross-border spy games. It was revealed that America’s National Security Agency (NSA) had been installing firmware on Cisco routers before they were delivered to customers. Moreover, Kaspersky Lab revealed earlier this year that NSA had been hiding spying software within hard drives from top manufacturers such as Western Digital, Seagate, Toshiba, IBM, Micron Technology Inc and Samsung Electronics Co Ltd.

 See Also: US NSA hid Spying Softwares within Hard Drive Firmware in Pakistan

Digital Rights Foundation has raised its concerns before the government of Pakistan regarding user’s right to privacy. It was pointed out that such a massive hacking operation has threatened Pakistan’s communications infrastructure since Pakistan Internet Exchange is a common point for the transfer of all significant communications of Internet users in Pakistan. Nighat Dad, Executive Director of Digital Rights Foundation, commented on the situation,

“The GCHQ operation highlights the growing mission creep on the part of intelligence agencies and other state actors, who frequently request more sweeping surveillance powers and authority, and who bristle at any attempts to enforce effective oversight upon them. This hacking not only does not protect ordinary people, but leaves them more vulnerable to malicious actors that can exploit the same vulnerabilities that GCHQ has infiltrated.”

So far, the government of Pakistan has not commented on any kind of hacking incident on Pakistan Internet Exchange. Keep following this space for more information.

Sponsored
Sarwat Fatima

Sarwat is a journalist and DIY enthusiast. She loves writing about Startups and Businesses. She is heading Islamabad and surrounding areas for news coverage.

Leave a Comment
Share
Published by
Sarwat Fatima

Recent Posts

Pakistani Passport Continues to Rank Among the Worst in the World

According to the most recent Henley Passport Index, Pakistan's passport is still one of the…

18 hours ago

November 9 Approaches: Will Iqbal Day Be a Public Holiday This Year?

As Iqbal Day approaches on November 9, Pakistan prepares to honor Allama Iqbal, the celebrated…

19 hours ago

Most Wanted Human Trafficker Taken Into Custody

GUJRAT: According to the Gujrat circle of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), they have arrested…

20 hours ago

Air Sial Starts Weekly Flights from Islamabad to Riyadh

Air Sial, one of Pakistan's leading private airlines, has officially launched its weekly flights from…

20 hours ago

Important Update on Profit Rates for Savings Schemes 

On Friday, the government stated that from November 4th, 2024, profit rates on National Savings…

22 hours ago

Pakistan to Legalize Bitcoin and Cryptocurrency Through SBP Act Amendments?

The federal government has proposed amendments to the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Act aimed…

22 hours ago