Italian Firm Trains Pakistani Navy Officers in Cybersecurity, Raising Concerns

Recently, it has come to light that individuals responsible for state-sponsored cyberattacks, reportedly backed by Pakistan, underwent advanced training by an Italian security firm. Documents shared with The Sunday Guardian indicate that Pakistani Navy officers, including those with high ranks like colonel, lieutenant colonel, and major, participated in a 13-week training course on Malware Development for various operating systems in Rome, Italy.

The Italian firm, CY4Gate, a part of the Elettronica group, confirmed the training program in response to a request from Commander Muhammad Nadeem Ilyas of the Pakistan Directorate Naval Intelligence. The syllabus covered Cyber Advanced technical topics, with dedicated areas in CY4Gate’s specialised laboratories for theoretical and practical sessions.

Notably, a surge in state-sponsored cyberattacks against India has been reported, with a 278% increase between 2021 and September 2023. Government agencies experienced a 460% rise in targeted cyberattacks, while startups and SMEs saw an alarming increase of 508%. These findings raise concerns about the potential impact on national security and the need for heightened cybersecurity measures.

Newly obtained internal documents provided insights on the cybersecurity training provided by Italian firm Elettronica and CY4Gate to Pakistani Navy officers. The syllabus includes instructions on bypassing popular antivirus software like Kaspersky, Avast, Bit Defender, Quick Heal, Windows Defe

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