ISI Escalates Honey-Traps with Psychologists, Posing Grave Threat to Indian Security

Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) has dramatically escalated its 'honey-trap' operations, now actively employing trained psychologists to identify and exploit the emotional vulnerabilities of Indian officials, creating a sophisticated new front in digital espionage. This marks a significant shift from traditional methods, focusing on deep psychological profiling via social media to build trust and manipulate targets into divulging sensitive national security information. The alarming trend has led to a surge in reported cases, causing grave concern among Indian intelligence agencies. The move comes as India faces a growing number of such cases, with several high-profile arrests in recent years involving Indian Army and Air Force personnel who fell prey to these elaborate schemes, often facilitated through fake social media profiles. The ISI new modus operandi leverages intimacy and emotional dependence, rather than just financial incentives, making targets like newly recruited Agniveers particularly susceptible. This psychological warfare poses a critical threat, potentially compromising classified military and strategic data. In response, Indian intelligence agencies are intensifying their sensitisation efforts and digital-security monitoring, even deploying an AI-based chatbot to assess and combat soldiers' susceptibility. However, the ISI evolving tactics, including the potential use of AI-generated images and videos and a push for more 'home-grown' modules, present ongoing challenges, necessitating continuous adaptation in India counter-intelligence strategies to safeguard national assets.