Etizaz Mohsin

cybersecurity researcher

Compiled from 1 recorded interview. Every statement below is drawn from the passage cited beside it.

Etizaz Mohsin is a cybersecurity researcher. Mohsin says he started working in his field at the end of 2009. com, for $30.

Early life and background

Mohsin lived in Hangu, where, he says, the internet was not even a concept. He first saw a computer in 1997 and got internet access in 2009. [1]

At school, classmates regarded him as good with computers. He began learning about the Pakistan Cyber Army and the Indian Cyber Army. Around 2001 to 2002, he went to Kohat with his mother during holidays, and a computer academy was nearby. He says that by the second day at the academy he was teaching the other students. [1]

Education

Mohsin did his high school in Rawalpindi and completed his FSC at a college. He then enrolled in software engineering at Riphah International University, where he says he was admitted with relative ease. He recalls scoring 49 marks in chemistry. [1]

He says he began studying C programming and C++, and that he studied software engineering for enjoyment because he likes computers. He wrote a small command-line pocket money management program for himself. For a project, he integrated two or three open-source scanners and presented the result. [1]

Mohsin says he was failed in four courses over attendance. He also says the university graduated him in electrical engineering, though he was in the computer science batch. [1]

Career

Mohsin says he started working in his field at the end of 2009. In his fifth or sixth semester he saw a Facebook ad about freelancing, and he got his first freelance project on Freelancer.com, for $30. He says he tells people who want to earn money to try freelancing. [1]

He once went to a meetup of security researchers, some from India, with his friend. He says he had no interest in taking a job in the UAE at that time. [1]

Hotel research

Mohsin did research while in Qatar, at the hotel where he was staying. He says he found that more than 600 hotels could be reached over the internet from his laptop. [1]

He says the vendor refused to patch the flaw, so he has worked with media outlets on the story. He says he has not published the bug details, because no patch exists yet. [1]

Views

Mohsin says Pakistan is not ready for a spyware attack that carries embedded exploits. He warns that Pakistan may produce programmers but fall far behind in defensive cybersecurity. He also says Pakistan is already moving ahead digitally, and its IT exports have grown considerably. [1]

Personal life

Mohsin says all three of his older brothers graduated from the same institution as he did. After his graduation, his father, who was abroad, invited him to visit, and he went abroad. He says he has great respect for his teachers because they understood him. [1]

Timeline

1997
First saw a computer.[1]
2001
Around 2001 to 2002, went to Kohat during holidays, where a computer academy was nearby.[1]
2009
Got internet access.[1]
2009
Began working in his field, at the end of the year.[1]

Appearances

DateTitleWhere
2022-01-10 Pakistan's bug bounty culture is destroying our cyber youth Thought Behind Things

Frequently asked questions

Where did Etizaz Mohsin study?

Etizaz Mohsin did his high school in Rawalpindi. He then enrolled in software engineering at Riphah International University. He says the university graduated him in electrical engineering, though he was in the computer science batch.[1]

When did Etizaz Mohsin start his career?

Etizaz Mohsin says he started working in his field at the end of 2009. He got his first freelance project on Freelancer.com, for $30.[1]

What did Etizaz Mohsin find in Qatar?

Etizaz Mohsin did research while in Qatar, at the hotel where he was staying. He says he found that more than 600 hotels could be reached over the internet from his laptop. He says he has not published the bug details, because no patch exists yet.[1]

What does Etizaz Mohsin say about bug bounty culture?

Etizaz Mohsin believes the bug bounty culture is harming Pakistan. He also says bug bounty work and OWASP Top 10 are not the end of the field.[1]

What does Etizaz Mohsin say about cybersecurity in Pakistan?

Etizaz Mohsin says Pakistan is not ready for a spyware attack that carries embedded exploits. He warns that Pakistan may produce programmers but fall far behind in defensive cybersecurity.[1]

References

  1. Pakistan's bug bounty culture is destroying our cyber youth . Thought Behind Things , 2022-01-10.
Show the source passages (38 statements)
  1. He first saw a computer in 1997. Yes, 1997 mein pehli baar maine dekha usko.
  2. He lived in Hangu, where the internet was not even a concept. Main Hangu mein rehta tha, wahan toh internet ka concept hi nahi hai.
  3. He got internet access in 2009. Internet mere paas 2009 mein aaya tha.
  4. At school, classmates regarded him as good with computers. Aur class mein, school mein ek baar kisi bande ne keh diya, kyunki I was good with computers, toh log yeh samajhte the yaar isko zyada pata hai.
  5. He began learning about the Pakistan Cyber Army and the Indian Cyber Army. Toh phir woh Pakistan Cyber Army aur Indian Cyber Army, un cheezon ke baare mein pata chalna shuru ho gaya. Toh main bhi us line mein chal pada.
  6. Around 2001 to 2002, he went to Kohat with his mother during holidays, and a computer academy was nearby. Mujhe yaad hai 2001-2 mein meri family jo meri, aap keh lein ke nana abu log, Kohat mein rehte the. Toh main ammi ke saath wahan pe na chuttiyon mein gaya hua tha aur wahin ke paas ek academy thi, computer academy.
  7. He says that by the second day at the academy he was teaching the other students. Pehle din main gaya, teacher mujhe bata raha hai, dusre din unke jo students the unko main padha raha tha.
  8. He did his high school in Rawalpindi. Maine apna high school kiya tha Silorox se, yeh Rawalpindi mein hai.
  9. He completed his FSC at a college. Aur usi ke saath padhta hai Aslam Foundation College. Wahan se maine apna FSC kiya.
  10. He then enrolled in software engineering at Riphah International University. Aur uske baad maine admission liya software engineering mein, Riphah International University se.
  11. He says he was admitted to Riphah International University with relative ease. Riphah mein admission le lete hain aur mil gaya tha mujhe easily.
  12. He recalls scoring 49 marks in chemistry. Lekin wohi hai ke mere 49 marks aaye the chemistry mein.
  13. He says he began studying C programming and C++. C programming, C++ humne padhna shuru ki.
  14. He wrote a small command-line pocket money management program for himself. Maine ek chota sa program command line apne liye banaya aur woh tha pocket money management system.
  15. He says he studied software engineering for enjoyment because he likes computers. Main toh software engineering apne maze ke liye kar raha tha, yaar mujhe computer pasand hai.
  16. For a project, he integrated two or three open-source scanners and presented the result. do-teen scanners jo open source, unko integrate kiya, theek hai aur ek achi si shakal de FIP bana ke maine present kar diya
  17. He says he was failed in four courses over attendance. Wapas aaya hoon, mujhe aake unhone char courses mein fail kar diya attendance ke upar.
  18. He says the university graduated him in electrical engineering, though he was in the computer science batch. But woh meri convocation jo hoti hai, main computer science ke batch ke saath same day graduate karne ke bawajood, unhone mujhe electrical engineering ke saath graduate kiya aur meri tasveer bhi unke saath khichwayi.
  19. He says all three of his older brothers graduated from the same institution as he did. Mere jis se main graduate kiya hoon, us se mere saare bhai graduate kiye hain. Mere teen bade bhai, saare ke saare aur bade purane.
  20. He says he started working in his field at the end of 2009. Maine apni field 2009 ke end mein start ki thi.
  21. He saw a Facebook ad about freelancing in his fifth or sixth semester. Chhathe semester mein, paanchvein semester mein maine ek Facebook pe ek ad dekha tha, yeh freelancing ke baare mein, ke kuch hoti hai.
  22. He got his first freelance project on Freelancer.com, for $30. Luckily, I got my first project on freelancer.com for $30.
  23. He once went to a meetup of security researchers, some from India, with his friend. ek din ek meet-up hua, theek hai aur India ke security researchers the kuch, wahan aaye hue the aur main apne dost ke saath gaya hua tha.
  24. He says he had no interest in taking a job in the UAE at that time. Us waqt bhi mera UAE mein job karne ka koi mood nahi tha.
  25. After his graduation, his father, who was abroad, invited him to visit, and he went abroad. Toh jab meri graduation hui, toh mere father bahar hote hain. Unhone mujhe kaha theek hai, vacation ke liye aa jao. Theek hai. Main bahar gaya.
  26. He says he tells people who want to earn money to try freelancing. main usko kehta hoon freelancing karo.
  27. He did research while in Qatar, at the hotel where he was staying. Yeh research hai basically while I was in Qatar. Jis hotel mein main reh raha tha
  28. He says he found that more than 600 hotels could be reached over the internet from his laptop. Pata yeh chala ke yeh taqreeban 600 se zyada hotels aise hain jin ko internet se main access kar sakta hoon apne laptop se.
  29. He says the vendor refused to patch the flaw, so he has worked with media outlets on the story. Haan recently aur uske ilawa baaki main media companies ke saath laga hoon kyunki jo vendor hai usne toh inkar kar diya ke main isko patch nahi karenge.
  30. He says he has not published the bug details, because no patch exists yet. Haan lekin maine bugs detail mein publish nahi kiye kyunki agar maine kar diye, patch toh hai nahi,
  31. He says Pakistan is not ready for a spyware attack that carries embedded exploits. Koi bhi spyware aa gaya jis ke andar exploit embedded hai, kya karoge uske liye? Kya hum uske liye ready hain? Bilkul bhi nahi hain.
  32. He believes the bug bounty culture is harming Pakistan. lekin jo bug bounty culture hai yeh hamare mulk ko tabaah kar raha hai.
  33. He says bug bounty work and OWASP Top 10 are not the end of the field. Bug bounty ke ilawa for example OWASP Top 10 duniya ka end nahi hai.
  34. He says the view that universities are a waste of money is partly true. Jis tarah samjha jata hai ke universities are nonsense, paise zaya karne wali baat hai, kisi had tak yeh baat true hai.
  35. He says Pakistan is already moving ahead digitally, and its IT exports have grown considerably. Aur dekhen digitalization ki baat ki jaye toh Pakistan already move kar raha hai aur aage ja raha hai hamari IT ki export bhi kaafi zyada ho gayi hai.
  36. He warns that Pakistan may produce programmers but fall far behind in defensive cybersecurity. Agar is rujan ko badla na gaya toh phir ho sakta hai hum programmers bana dein, freelancer bana dein mulk ki economy bhi acchi ho jayegi lekin defense wise cyber security defense wise hum bahut peeche reh jayenge
  37. He says the purpose of such competitions is to encourage researchers to cooperate rather than sell zero days on the black hat market. Toh in competitions ka maqsad hi yeh hai ke researchers ko bajaye iske ke zero day aap black hat market mein in cheezon ko bechne se accha hai hamare saath kaam karo
  38. He says he has great respect for his teachers because they understood him. Aur yahi wajah hai ke main apne teachers ki bahut zyada respect karta hoon ke unhone mujhe samjha.