Terror techie trained in city

Udumula Sudhakar Reddy
18th oct 2008
Mohammed Mansoor Peerbhoy, the ‘terror techie’ associated with Indian Mujahideen, was trained for a week in Internet security issues at the city-based e2-labs by Italian experts.
The Macca Masjid blast took place during the course which ran from May 14 to 19 last year, and is believed to have led Peerbhoy into the arms of terrorists.
Peerbhoy is accused of sending the terror emails that were posted just before the blasts at Ahmedabad and Delhi. For this, he hacked into the wi-fi connections of other users.
Among his classmates was the AP Forensic Science Laboratory forensic expert, Mr U. Ram Mohan, a deputy superintendent of police now the with CID Cyber Crime Police Station.
Peerbhoy did not provide his photograph which is part of the process of joining the course. However, his photographs taken during the course appear on the company’s website.
Peerbhoy has confessed to the Mumbai police after his arrest earlier this month that he was shocked by the Macca Masjid blast and was inspired by IM chief Riyaz Bhatkal to take revenge.
Peerbhoy is a close associate of Bhatkal, who is at large, Mohammed Akbar Ismail Choudhary and Anique Shafique Sayyed of IM. Bhatkal, Ismail and Sayyed reportedly placed the bombs that exploded on August 25, 2007. A participant at the city-based e2-labs by Italian experts said that Mohammed Mansoor Peerbhoy, the ‘terror techie’ associated with Indian Mujahideen, used to keep a low profile.
“He spoke English fluently and maintained a very low profile.” the participant, who did not want to be identified, said.
Peerbhoy was a senior software architect of Zimbra Asia Pacific Pvt Ltd from where he joined Yahoo India.
Representatives from Ethical Hacking and Asian School of Cyber Laws in Pune attended the course along with the first female ethical hacker from Kolkata, system administrators and networking engineers from Hyderabad among others.
The training was conducted in Hotel Fortune Katriya at Somajiguda by e2-labs in association with Zone H from May 14 to 19, 2007, as part of the first batch of the six-day course titled ’Corporate training on hacking unlimited’.
The Zone-H founders, Mr Roberto Preatoni and Mr Gerardo Di Giacomo, were part of the faculty that taught the 12 participants. The e2-labs chairman and CEO, Dr Zaki Qureshey, told this correspondent, “Italian experts of Zone H were surprised of Peerbhoy’s speed in learning. He knew hacking before he came here.
“Peerbhoy was dedicated to his work,” Mr Qureshey said. “He was highly qualified and we didn’t suspect him as he was working with a corporate company. Usually we take an undertaking from private participants that they would utilise this knowledge only for constructive purposes and for protection of internet security.” However, since Peerbhoy was representing a company he did not require to give an undertaking.
He said, “Peerbhoy gave us his details but not his photograph. He said he will give the photograph later. We took group photographs. The course fee was Rs 75,000 which he transferred through wire from his personal account. He had sent the email from his corporate account.” Peerbhoy wrote in the feedback on the hacking course that it was “mind boggling”. Peerbhoy stated “really unleashes the power of information, Very well designed course obstacle race, Very hands on.” e2-labs claims that it is Asia’s first anti-hacking school.