Beware of Techie Terrorists

An article in the newspaper said that Mumbai terrorists relied on technology for their attacks. They navigated from Pakistan across the Arabian Sea using a global positioning system handset. They knew the exact location of their targets and used the most direct routes to reach them, thanks to the satellite photos from Google Earth. Throughout the siege they coordinated with “handlers” in Pakistan using internet phones to keep the authorities from tracing their calls. These handlers watched the news updates on television, informing the attackers on the movement of security forces and giving instructions on what best to do. By their standards, the plan was highly successful. Many people died.

The article made me think about two things, the first being the need for responsible journalism. A balance must be maintained between the right to information and the protection of national security. Second is the danger posed by the access to technology that everyone, including would-be criminals have. I will not delve into how technology can be used for evil purposes or that it in itself is an evil device. We all know it is also capable of the opposite. The authorities in India were stunned with the use of sophisticated technology. Now, God forbid that happens here, imagine the havoc it would wreak. The policemen here may not even know what hit them. It’s time that the police force kept abreast with modern technology. The non-pro version of Google Earth will not cost them anything anyway.