Army yet to hack new terror tech
More than a year after a new technological solution used by
terrorists began causing headache to the Army in Kashmir, no breakthrough has
been made to crack it. An indigenous software patch for intercepting the new
mode of communication has also failed.
Concern:
Terrorists infiltrating from Pakistan have been using smartphones
paired with very high frequency (VHF) radio sets to communicate with one another, resulting in a drop in
communication intercepts and adversely affecting military efforts to deal with
them.
Background:
The concept of pairing mobile phones with radio handsets
originated in the wake of Hurricane Sandy in New York in 2012. This mode of
sending mobile communications without using mobile towers is of great help for
rescue operations during calamities, but is now among the key technology
deployed by terrorists to avoid the security forces while crossing the Line of
Control.
- This technology is secure and active even in high peaks and forests especially near the Line of Control where conventional mobile and satellite phones can give away their location.
- Terrorists also use other technologies such as self-destroying chats and end-to-end encryption to overcome interception.
