Countries of the subcontinent got off lightly, mainly because there is less reliance on computer systems and many of the bureaucracies of developing nations run on paper systems. But Pakistan is a country that is rapidly developing computerised and online services and it is vulnerable. Much of the hardware and software in-country is old, poorly maintained and there are relatively low levels of awareness of the need for cyber security.
This is not science fiction or fantasy, and it was an accident waiting to happen. It is significant that relatively low levels of infection are reported for the US compared to Europe, Russia, and other countries because of high security awareness. The attack is most likely to be criminal in intent, a vast robbery, rather than an attempt to bring down any specific country. That aside it is chillingly revealed that crucial national infrastructure is open to attack and if criminals, can mount an attack such as this it is not a stretch of the imagination to have nation targeting nation in this way. We have all been warned.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 14th, 2017.
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