The global surge in Cybertech, Fintech, Infrastructure Tech, and utility applications is reshaping economies at an unprecedented pace. In the developing world, this rapid adoption is often touted as a hallmark of technological advancement and economic growth. However, beneath the surface lies a dangerous vulnerability that many governments have failed to address: the unchecked dominance of foreign-developed software, especially from Western nations, operating with opaque source codes and embedded spyware.
Invisible Gateways to Critical Data
Many of these apps, particularly those developed in the West, contain metadata embedded with third-party cookies and, at times, malicious code. These mechanisms silently collect sensitive data ranging from banking transactions and military purchases to infrastructure layouts, including defense installations, tunnel systems, and ventilation plans.
In most developing countries, including Pakistan, the corporate sector has grown increasingly reliant on foreign-developed digital platforms for:
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Courier and logistics
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Food and grocery delivery
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Ride-hailing and transportation services
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Financial technology operations
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Customer relationship and service management
Even small retailers and malls routinely collect customers’ personal data—names, phone numbers, financial details—without any regulatory oversight. This unchecked data harvesting poses an existential threat to national security.
The Iranian Case Study: A Cautionary Tale
Iran’s recent losses at the hands of Israeli intelligence, particularly Mossad, provide a grave warning. Iranian investigations—supported by China and Russia—have revealed widespread infiltration via Indian-origin software solutions and IT manpower. These assets, embedded through commercial and infrastructure projects like Chabahar, were operating out of Gulf states, especially the UAE, using encrypted Starlink channels to relay sensitive data directly to Israeli handlers.
Captured spyware was found to provide real-time surveillance of:
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Iranian defense and scientific installations
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Personal registries and movement of military leadership
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Civil aviation and airport systems
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Telecommunications, internet activity, and even in-home behavior patterns
This level of penetration enabled foreign actors to not just track but influence the physical movements of high-value targets by feeding fake directives and cloned commands—a strategy that resulted in precision eliminations of Iran’s senior leadership and scientists.
Relevance to Pakistan
The same pattern is emerging in Pakistan, where several multinational apps and services—managed and staffed primarily by Indian nationals in Gulf-based headquarters—are now entrenched in daily life. Courier companies like TCS, food delivery services like FoodPanda, and ride-hailing platforms like InDrive and Yango operate without stringent local oversight. These platforms request access to users’ cameras, microphones, file systems, financial data, and geolocation—permissions that most users grant blindly.
Moreover, large retail chains and fashion outlets such as Carrefour, Imtiaz, and Khaadi also collect biometric and financial details under the guise of loyalty programs, further contributing to the national data leak.
Regulatory Incompetence: The Real Enabler
The root cause of this infiltration lies not just in the software or foreign actors but in the complete failure of local regulatory authorities—either due to incompetence or corruption. The absence of comprehensive digital sovereignty laws and enforcement mechanisms has allowed foreign corporations to build an extensive surveillance ecosystem inside our homes and institutions.
The Next Conflict: Cyber Will Precede Kinetics
Should tensions with India escalate into conflict, the risk of coordinated cyber-enabled internal sabotage becomes a real possibility. With the level of digital penetration already achieved, a future war may begin not with missiles—but with systems going dark, communications collapsing, and critical infrastructure compromised from within.
Maj Khurrum Baig (R)
Khurrum Baig is a Master Aviator and defense analyst with over 24 years of distinguished service in Pakistan Army Aviation. He is an Instructor Pilot, Test Pilot, certified Aircraft Accident Investigator, and specialist in Aviation Refueling & Equipment. Currently engaged in international corporate roles, he writes regularly on military strategy and geopolitical affairs.
