Indian Agencies Alerted as Pakistan's ISI Deploys Psychologists on Social Media for Novel Honey-Traps Pakistan's intelligence agency ISI is deploying professional psychologists to create fake social media profiles and target Indian officials holding sensitive information by exploiting their personal vulnerabilities. In a concerning shift of intelligence tactics, Pakistan's intelligence agency, the ISI, is actively deploying professional psychologists to target Indian government and military officials holding sensitive information. Moving away from traditional methods like monetary bribes or blackmail, this new honey-trap network focuses on exploiting the personal vulnerabilities and psychological stresses of officials through social media platforms. Despite continuous safety advisories issued across departments, several officers are falling victim to this sophisticated cyber operation. A Shift in Cyber Espionage Tactics According to an official from the Intelligence Bureau, the ISI has recruited several trained psychologists specifically to identify officials who possess access to classified or sensitive operational data. Under instructions from the intelligence agency, these psychologists create fake social media accounts using female names. They carefully monitor online activities, focusing particularly on officers who use social media platforms to express personal frustration, fatigue, or grievances. With their specialized background, these psychologists quickly assess the mental state and emotional state of potential targets. Months of Psychological Profiling and Trust Building Once a potential target is selected, the trained psychologists initiate regular conversations online while maintaining a persona of deep sympathy and emotional closeness. Unlike traditional honey-trap operations that relied on sudden lure or threats, this psychological approach is executed with extreme patience. Operatives spend nearly two to three months studying the officer's personal life, mapping out emotional weaknesses, and establishing a high level of personal trust. Once this strong bond is formed, officials unknowingly begin sharing sensitive details through everyday digital communication channels. Deployment of Chinese Malware and Spyware After establishing firm trust with the target, the psychologists move to the technical exploitation phase. The officer is persuaded to download and install specific applications onto their official or personal electronic devices under harmless pretexts. In reality, these software applications contain covert malware and spyware designed to extract confidential files and log user activities secretly. Intelligence investigations reveal that a majority of these malicious programs used in the honey-trap network are manufactured in China, giving hackers complete back-door access to compromise device security. Growing Concerns for Indian Intelligence Agencies The rising effectiveness of leveraging officers' personal struggles has driven a surge in demand for psychologists within cyber espionage operations in Pakistan. Indian security agencies have expressed deep concern over this evolving threat. Despite frequent advisories and security guidelines issued across various departments, several officials continue to fall into these well-crafted traps, installing data-leaking software and compromising critical national information. What this means for you This development carries significant implications for administrative and national security: • Across India: Government and defense departments will enforce stricter social media guidelines for all personnel. Enhanced digital auditing will be implemented to monitor online interactions and prevent potential leaks of classified information. • For Officials: Personnel handling sensitive data must exercise caution when posting personal issues online. Officers need to follow mandatory security verification before installing any application or interacting with unverified profiles. Why this happened Intelligence agencies modified their honey-trap strategy as traditional extortion and bribery tactics became less effective against updated security advisories. • Psychological Manipulation: Exploiting emotional stress and offering sympathy creates trust faster than threats or financial incentives. • Covert Identity: Creating fake social media profiles under female names allows psychologists to operate anonymously while profiling targets. • Technical Access: Utilizing Chinese-made spyware enables complete system access without raising immediate suspicion from targets. Questions & Answers 1. Why is the ISI deploying psychologists in honey-trap operations? Psychologists are capable of analyzing the mental state and personal vulnerabilities of officials to manipulate them more effectively. 2. How does this new honey-trap mechanism operate? Psychologists create fake profiles under female names on social media, track vulnerable officers, and establish emotional closeness through sympathy. 3. How long do operatives take to build trust with a target? Operatives spend roughly two to three months engaging with targets to analyze weaknesses and build solid trust. 4. What type of software is used to compromise security? The operation uses applications containing Chinese-made malware and spyware to extract data secretly from the victim's device. 5. What is the primary concern for Indian security agencies? The main concern is that officers continue falling for these psychological tactics and installing malicious software despite regular security advisories. https://trendkia.com/en/gujarat/hani-traipa-ke-nae-paintare-se-alarta-hui-bharatiya-ejensiyan-pakistan-ki-isi-soshala-midiya-para-tainata-kara-rahi-manovaijnanika-29448 TrendKia — Har trend, sabse pehle.