Electronic Warfare: Where does Pakistan stand?

[denel]

When your EW game is weak

This radio reminds me of a joke long heard back; those who appreciate shortwave listening will understand:

Amin Dada goes to visit UK; and has audience with queen after she learns how he is well spoken in English.
Queen: Mr Amin, how did you find our country this is first time for you here.
Amin: sssshhhss ... shhrerreeesssss... very nice ...sseeesss ... maam.. ssseehhhr
Queen: How about the food mr Amin.
Amin: sssshhhss ... shhrerreeesssss... very nice ...sseeesss ... maam.. ssseehhhr
Queen: (Really puzzled at the hissing noises decides to ask...) : Mr Amin, i am impressed by your english, where did you learn it?
Amin: sssshhhss ... shhrerreeesssss. by shortwave ssssesss Maam.


.....

Amin: sssshhhss ... shhrerreeesssss... very nice ...sseeesss ... maam.. ssseehhhr


The insurance policy commercial was needed with this one had to add that in

This radio reminds me of a joke long heard back; those who appreciate shortwave listening will understand:

Amin Dada goes to visit UK; and has audience with queen after she learns how he is well spoken in English.
Queen: Mr Amin, how did you find our country this is first time for you here.
Amin: sssshhhss ... shhrerreeesssss... very nice ...sseeesss ... maam.. ssseehhhr
Queen: How about the food mr Amin.
Amin: sssshhhss ... shhrerreeesssss... very nice ...sseeesss ... maam.. ssseehhhr
Queen: (Really puzzled at the hissing noises decides to ask...) : Mr Amin, i am impressed by your english, where did you learn it?
Amin: sssshhhss ... shhrerreeesssss. by shortwave ssssesss Maam.


.....

 

[AZADPAKISTAN2009]

That one was ......above my wave length , however I sincerely appreciate your gesture

 

[AZADPAKISTAN2009]

But to be on the topic, Pakistan needs a continuous development on EW front

 

[Khanate]

Pakistan doesn't have a dedicated institution to deal with such issues. To me, this reflects the institutional understanding and committement of our armed forces.

 

[nahtanbob]

In many cases, European nations are the manufacturers. Similarly, Microsoft has a program wherein large, security conscious entities such as governments can demand access to their source code so they can run their own audit. PAF has no such system in place, and doesn't have the capability to audit source code. If they actually licensed it from Microsoft, showing their identity as PAF, rest assured they were given software with backdoors. The Americans would not pass a golden opportunity to gain advantage over a nation's airforce.

There is no need for a separate platform. They need to gain expertise in open source software to such an extent, that their personnel understand every single path in the software. Take the Linux kernel, and strip it down to the bare minimum needed by PAF. Perform a full security audit, identify weaknesses and remove them. Now use this hardened version as standard. This is the bare minimum that is needed across all sensitive organizations. Once expertise is gained, then they can think about alternates.

Why whould air defence networks be on a public network ?

 

[CriticalThought]

Why whould air defence networks be on a public network ?

Commodity hardware + commodity software means security loopholes even in airgapped computers. You think Irans's centrifuges were connected to the Internet?

 

[nahtanbob]

Commodity hardware + commodity software means security loopholes even in airgapped computers. You think Irans's centrifuges were connected to the Internet?

how does someone gain physical access to private wired network ? if that situation exists it seems like a major security loophole.

if I disable the wifi adapter of my Windows machine at home it is hard to hack it. It does limit the functionality of my machine when I cannot connect to the Internet

 

[Tps43]

It is not policy. All MQ interdiction missions are with Pakistan's permission

And those without permission are dealt immediately like 12 hot scrambles in north west in an year

 

[CriticalThought]

how does someone gain physical access to private wired network ? if that situation exists it seems like a major security loophole.

if I disable the wifi adapter of my Windows machine at home it is hard to hack it. It does limit the functionality of my machine when I cannot connect to the Internet

Microphones in commodity hardware have loopholes that pick up ultrasound not discernible by human ears. Viruses can use this to cross airgaps. You can search the net for more details.

 

[Deltaviper]

how does someone gain physical access to private wired network ? if that situation exists it seems like a major security loophole.

if I disable the wifi adapter of my Windows machine at home it is hard to hack it. It does limit the functionality of my machine when I cannot connect to the Internet

Read up on how Stuxnet was planted into Iranian centrifuges. In many cases, digital security is compromised by a lapse in operational security or physical security.

The idea is that even if it is hard (Read: never impossible ) to compromise your network remotely, I could always sneak into your place/workplace and/or use someone careless working at your office or living in your home to compromise your security;

Similarly, you might've turned off your WiFi antenna but you might've left the Bluetooth on... Or I could just sell USB sticks carrying a payload designed specifically for your machine to all the stores you can potentially buy USB storage devices at, way below their actual cost... Ensuring that sooner or later, you'll buy one and plug one in;

In network security, it is said that given enough time and resources, any system in the world can be compromised. The best security is not in obscurity but is only possible by a combination of active pen-testing to discover weaknesses and patching them; continuously monitoring for anomalous behavior and ensuring you stay ahead of the curve. Tough ask for anyone or any entity.

 

[nahtanbob]

Read up on how Stuxnet was planted into Iranian centrifuges. In many cases, digital security is compromised by a lapse in operational security or physical security.

The idea is that even if it is hard (Read: never impossible ) to compromise your network remotely, I could always sneak into your place/workplace and/or use someone careless working at your office or living in your home to compromise your security;

Similarly, you might've turned off your WiFi antenna but you might've left the Bluetooth on... Or I could just sell USB sticks carrying a payload designed specifically for your machine to all the stores you can potentially buy USB storage devices at, way below their actual cost... Ensuring that sooner or later, you'll buy one and plug one in;

In network security, it is said that given enough time and resources, any system in the world can be compromised. The best security is not in obscurity but is only possible by a combination of active pen-testing to discover weaknesses and patching them; continuously monitoring for anomalous behavior and ensuring you stay ahead of the curve. Tough ask for anyone or any entity.

Bluetooth is short range. If I have a physical perimeter surrounding my air defense facilities bluetooth vulnerability cannot be exploited.

you are right physical and operational security can be compromised in numerous ways. you have to rely on active testing to probe your network on a continuous basis.

 

[Deltaviper]

Microphones in commodity hardware have loopholes that pick up ultrasound not discernible by human ears. Viruses can use this to cross airgaps. You can search the net for more details.

You'd have to compromise the device first to utilize this. Also, only possible with better quality hardware. Cheap Huawei phones don't even pick up modest 14K Hz tones . Anyways, you cannot compromise these without tinkering with the firmware. Or having an app designed to pick those up...

 

[CriticalThought]

Bluetooth is short range. If I have a physical perimeter surrounding my air defense facilities bluetooth vulnerability cannot be exploited.

you are right physical and operational security can be compromised in numerous ways. you have to rely on active testing to probe your network on a continuous basis.

Known attack method used by common car thieves. If you have a fob for keyless entry, the reason it works is because the strength of signals in proximity allows access. But attackers simply use an amplifier so that weak signal from your fob sitting inside your home is perceived as strong by the locking system.

You'd have to compromise the device first to utilize this. Also, only possible with better quality hardware. Cheap Huawei phones don't even pick up modest 14K Hz tones . Anyways, you cannot compromise these without tinkering with the firmware. Or having an app designed to pick those up...

Saboteurs selling you a central air defence command would already make sure of all this.

 

[Deltaviper]

Bluetooth is short range. If I have a physical perimeter surrounding my air defense facilities bluetooth vulnerability cannot be exploited.

you are right physical and operational security can be compromised in numerous ways. you have to rely on active testing to probe your network on a continuous basis.

I don't have to go in myself... well I could just compromise the cheap smartphone being carried by the uneducated sanitary worker who I know happens to clean up a sensitive area... The point being it really depends on so many factors in physical security and operations and contingency planning...

 

[Sine Nomine]

@CriticalThought Great man,keep it up.