During these past days, amid the crowd of news that is not without missiles that fly from here and there and conflicting international statements that make your head rotate, there are other aspects that must be contemplated away from this political chaos. Let’s move away from this scene, and let us go together to another angle that is no less important and effect in our daily life; The angle of technology, which has become a pivotal role in modern conflicts, which we recently witnessed in the recent electronic war between Iran and Israel.
In our time, our relationship with technology is similar to our relationship with our mobile phones that we trust in all the details of our personal lives, without ever to it that it may turn into spying and track tools. Likewise, applications such as “WhatsApp”, have turned from a simple way to communicate daily to a possible party in the recent cyber conflicts. In the midst of these events that took place recently, the company “Mita” owned the WhatsApp application found itself in an unenviable position, when some parties accused her of using its platform for spying and tracking purposes by using user data or allowing leaking sensitive information in the context of electronic conflict between Iran and Israel. Although “Mita” was quick to deny these allegations, confirming its full commitment to protecting the privacy of users, the mere raising such accusations is sufficient to destabilize the users’ confidence in the applications that they are dependent on daily, and as the common example says: “There is no smoke without fire.”
On the other hand, the Israeli company “Chic Point Software” promotes as one of the largest international companies specialized in cybersecurity. This company provides advanced technical solutions to protect institutions and companies from electronic attacks and security breaches. Its services include anti -virus programs, network protection, databases securing, and detailed reports that help institutions understand and analyze security risks.
During the last electronic confrontation, the company “Chic Point” became a prominent player in this war differently. Instead of being limited to providing data protection solutions, she found themselves providing detailed reports that explain the technologies and methods used in the attacks that targeted Iranian facilities. Although these reports appear on the surface of neutral technical analyzes, but its publication with attacks on Iran – especially since the Israeli company – may be implicitly explained as a kind of indirect support or at least as a step that is in the interest of the Israeli side.
These two examples are certainly not the only ones, as there are other international companies that have played various roles in recent events. But the purpose of choosing these two examples specifically is to highlight techniques and services that some may use on a daily basis, through which to realize how technology, which entered our lives at amazing speed, has become an integral part of the details of our day, may suddenly turn into effective tools in international conflicts. These major companies that are affected by the policies of their countries and their political interests may be used to serve political goals and interests in any future circumstance.
Therefore, it is necessary that there be serious government efforts that support national companies and regulations, and enhance their capabilities to take the place of these international regimes that may not place our national interests at the top of their priorities. We all must all have full awareness when using social media programs in government transactions or in our private and confidential trading. Technology is a double -edged sword, so let’s be responsible to protect ourselves, our societies and our homelands from the dangers of misuse.
* Technical expert
