The National Computer Emergency Team (NCERT) has taken proactive measures to safeguard Pakistani officials and citizens against potential cyber threats.
In a recent advisory, NCERT has highlighted the emergence of hostile Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs) targeting Pakistani officials through Android applications available on the Google Play Store.
The advisory warns about the presence of suspicious Android applications designed to surreptitiously extract personal and financial data, including media files, contact lists, calendars, call logs, and message logs from victims’ mobile phones. Shockingly, some of these apps even offer to provide Personal Identifiable Information (PII) of Pakistani citizens in exchange for monetary compensation.
To mitigate the risk, NCERT advises government officials and citizens to exercise caution when downloading applications, avoiding third-party sources and unknown developers. Users are urged to scrutinize app reviews and privacy policies, refrain from providing sensitive
information, and regularly review permissions granted to installed applications.
Additionally, NCERT emphasizes the importance of reading privacy policies before installing any application, keeping Google Play Protect enabled, and promptly updating mobile operating systems. Users are advised against opening emails and attachments from unfamiliar or suspicious sources and are encouraged to refrain from storing official data on smartphones.
Furthermore, NCERT recommends maintaining smartphone location services turned off, especially in sensitive locations, and enforcing strong password policies. Installing reputable antivirus and anti-malware software with regularly updated signature definitions is also strongly encouraged.
The advisory has been disseminated to all federal ministries, divisions, and provincial governments, with instructions to ensure that all concerned individuals and organizations are aware of the protective measures outlined.
Source: Pro Pakistani