Pakistan’s Telecom Industry To Deploy Web Monitoring System For Curbing Grey Traffic

Telecom industry has signed an agreement with Inbox Business Technologies to deploy ‘Web Monitoring System (WMS)’–a suitable technical solution capable of monitoring, analyzing and curbing grey traffic, it is learnt.

Web Monitoring System Is A Suitable Technical Solution To Curb Grey Traffic

The government has involved security agency to conduct a security audit of Web Monitoring System (WMS) to find out any loopholes and vulnerabilities in the system.

Questions have been raised recently in the Senate as well as in standing committees, while observing that Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has awarded the contract for monitoring of internet traffic in the country to a company which is working as a partner with the Israeli Intelligence, without following the relevant rules, regulations.

However, according to documents Cabinet Division has clarified that PTA has neither signed any contract for monitoring of internet traffic with any vendor nor is spending public money on the project.

It further maintained that in compliance with statutory and Policy obligations, PTA directed the telecom industry to deploy a suitable technical solution capable of monitoring, analyzing and curbing grey traffic. The said monitoring system will be termed as ‘Web Monitoring System (WMS)’.

The system will perform the following tasks:

Identification and eradication of grey traffic to accomplish the following objectives:

1. Foreign exchange in lieu of incoming international voice traffic be remitted in the country
2. Traffic routed through legal means will increase operators’ taxable income

iii. To minimize security hazard as the grey call cannot be traced back

1. Actions relating to Web Content Management can be performed by PTA under PECA-2016

The Contract is signed between relevant telecom operators and the vendor without the involvement of public money. All LDIs (Long Distance and International), CMOs (Cellular Mobile Operators) and Submarine Cable Landing Station licensees are sharing the cost of the system under their regulatory obligations.

For addressing security concerns, PTA has obtained an undertaking from the vendor (Inbox Business Technologies) and manufacturer company Sandvine Inc., the USA for any possible involvement of hostile element. The vendor is also obligated to get the system certified as per ISO 27001 international standards. Moreover, the security agency has been involved to conduct a security audit of the system to find out any loopholes and vulnerabilities in the system.

To further ensure the security, a strict clause about system and material breach is included in the contract. In case, any such breach is identified and validated, the contract will be terminated.