Kleptography is the study of pilfering secure data secretly and subliminally. The concept of inserting backdoors was introduced two decades ago by Young and Yung. However, still it is a serious threat for modern cryptography. Different studies have proved that exploiting implementation errors of cryptographic algorithms needs less effort as compared to attacking its mathematical structure. Inserting the backdoor modifies the standard method of generating public and private key pairs in such away that the public information is meaningful for the attacker. This paper presents the kleptographic attack on cryptographic algorithm based on Elliptic curves. We show the technique of implementing backdoor against Edwards-curve Digital Signature Algorithm, Elliptic curve Diffie-Hellman key exchange scheme, Elliptic curve Digital Signature Algorithm, Elliptic curve Integrated Encryption Scheme, Elliptic curve ElGamal Encryption and Elliptic curve Qu-Vanstone implicit certificate scheme. In practical approach, backdoors are inserted in such a way that their identification is impossible by analyzing the output of an algorithm. Detection of kleptographic implementation is a complex task and very few studies can be found in this direction. We have explored the possibility of detection of malicious code inside the Elliptic curve based algorithms by using the idea of running time analysis. We have shown that by implementing strong Secretly Embedded Trapdoor with Universal Protection (SETUP) attack against Elliptic curve based algorithms, one can detect the presence of backdoor by analyzing the time difference in execution of an honest vs malicious version of code. We also modified the backdoor insertion mechanism in Edwards-curve Digital Signature Algorithm that results in negligible time difference making it impossible for the user to detect backdoor presence.

This study was conducted to see whether herpetofaunal assemblage differed amongst hiking trails, undisturbed forest and urban areas within the Margalla Hills National Park, Islamabad Capital Territory, Pakistan. Circular plot area-constrained searches (45 plots in each habitat, each plot with an area of 25 m2) were used from March 2018 to July 2019. We recorded seven amphibian species, nine lizard species and six snake species. The species richness of amphibians and lizards was the same in the studied strata, while the detection and encounter rate of snakes was lower in the undisturbed forest and urban areas. The encounter rate of amphibians differed significantly between urban areas and hiking trails/undisturbed forest. The encounter rate and population density of lizards differed significantly between undisturbed forest and urban areas. The most frequently encountered amphibian species along the hiking trail and urban areas was Duttaphrynus stomaticus, with Hoplobatrachus tigerinus in undisturbed forest. The most common and frequently encountered lizard species along the hiking trail and urban areas was Hemidactylus brookii, while the Ophisops jerdonii was the most frequently seen in undisturbed forest. The most common and frequently encountered snake species along the hiking trail and undisturbed forest was the Indotyphlops braminus, while Ptyas mucosa was the most common in urban areas. The subsequent bio-assessment, based on herpetofauna, of the Park revealed good to excellent biotic integrity The Park faces threats including livestock grazing, alien invasive vegetation and human disturbance due to settlements, restaurants and tourism-related activities. While several of these threats have been mitigated since the establishment of the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board, the Park still requires improved management, especially regarding regulating tourism.

Research on amphibians and their conservation have gained worldwide attention, as the group includes the highest number of threatened and Data Deficient species when compared to other vertebrates. However, amphibians have long been neglected in wildlife conservation, management decisions, policy making, and research agendas in Pakistan. In this paper, an annotated checklist of the 21 amphibian species of Pakistan, a key to their identification, and detailed discussions on variation in species, including the genera Minervarya and Sphaerotheca, are provided. We found a statistically significant difference in the morphometric measurements of males but non-significant difference in the females of the two forms (rusty dorsum and dotted dorsum) of S. maskeyi. Some genera, such as Microhyla, Uperodon, Minervarya, Allopaa, Chrysopaa, Euphlyctis, Nanorana, and Sphaerotheca, in Pakistan are in need of additional data for molecular and morphological comparisons with taxa in other South Asian countries. The predicaments of amphibian research in Pakistan are discussed, gaps identified, and suggestions are made. Although the occurrence of chytrid fungus in Pakistan is predicted of low likelihood, a lack of data merits studying the prevalence of the fungus, particularly in the northern regions of the country which exhibit complex and dynamic ecosystems. It is recommended that systematic and coordinated surveys are conducted throughout the country to build a database of species occurrences and distributions. Additionally, the monitoring of wild populations and threat mitigation, as well as appropriate legislation, are suggested as long-term measures. By adopting an inclusive wildlife conservation approach in Pakistan, amphibians could be integrated into wildlife conservation and management efforts.

Present study was carried out to assess different parameters (physiochemical) of water for public health safety. 25 samples from majority of areas of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) along with Rawalpindi and Islamabad were chosen. Total twelve parameter which include color, odour, pH, TSS (total suspended solids), TDS (total dissolved solids), Na (Sodium), K (Potassium), hardness, alkalinity, EC (Electric Conductivity), Cl (Chloride) and SO4 (Sulphate) were assessed for each sample and were compared with WHO and other limits. Results showed that very few samples 3 out of 14 in Mardan, 5/12 in Bannu, 2/11 in Buner, 3/4 in Batkhela, 1/6 in Malakand, 2/4 in Shangla, 3/18 in Mansehra, 2/7 in Karak, 1/17 in Kohat, 2/5 in Upper Dir, 3/12 in Islamabad, 3/11 in Abbottabad and 2 out of 17 samples were found to have objectionable color and odour. None of the samples exceeded the permissible limit of WHO for pH, TDS, alkalinity, Cl and SO4. While, other parameters like TSS was higher in 9 samples, Na in 2, K in 6, hardness in 1 and EC in 7 as compare to permissible limit. It was recommended that proper water treatment especially effective chlorination with residual chlorine be rendered at all sources in order to achieve safe water quality up to the consumer’s end. However, it is also important to investigate other potential water contaminations such as chemicals and microbial and radiological materials for a longer period of time, including human body fluids, in order to assess the overall water quality of Pakistan.