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Recently, I was browsing through the ISPR website searching for their media contacts. And I was in for a shocker. The military’s media contact page proudly boasts of one Hotmail, three Gmail and one Yahoo account. These emails are meant for queries and responses if you want to get answers from the Pakistani military. Just wondering, why are all these addresses based on foreign servers.
Usually, all professional organisations have a secure network used for communication. The more sophisticated and sensitive the operation, the more secure the servers. I may not be an authority on IT matters but it feels odd that the military (of all organisations in Pakistan) has to rely on free, web-based email accounts. Yes, all these email providers have strict checks and privacy rules but come on! Really?!
I know that if I browse and get emails about sports, Google sends sports ads my way. I remember CNET reported that web-based email accounts are as susceptible to be hacked into as other accounts.
“The information is essentially being sent back and forth along a wire. Anyone along that wire, inside or outside of your company, has the ability to intercept, read and change the text,” said David Kennedy, director of research services for ICSA.net in Reston, Va. “Is it technically possible? Yes, and it’s fairly easy to do.”
The privacy record of all the major providers has at some point or other been criticised for how they use user data. And it is understandable if they have millions of subscribers, they have to make money.
Which begs the question: have our 'wise' military media managers have thought about this aspect? Just a couple of days ago Apple and Google received a good lashing at a senate hearing in the US. The Senate committee was not pleased with how the companies are protecting user privacy on mobile phones. Senator Al Franken, said that application makers, companies like Apple and Google and wireless providers are free to disclose your location information and other sensitive information to almost anyone they please-without letting you know.
This is a small observation on the back of the Osama bin Laden killing that has brought to life Pakistani military and intelligence community’s worst nightmare to life. The US, Britain, Spain and other countries hit with terrorism hit back with impenetrable shields of defence. They learned lessons from intelligence failures and have proven to come out of the criticism – wiser and effective. One can only hope and wish that Pakistan has (this time) learned its lesson!
Osama Bin Javaid is News Editor at DawnNews
The views expressed by this blogger and in the following reader comments do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Dawn Media Group.
