This restaurant in Mangaluru has been offering 'Free Iftaar' for everyone for four years now
"I envision a Mangaluru where nobody sleeps hungry round the year" says owner Muhammad Sarfraz
Mangaluru: As the Islamic holy month of Ramadan began on Thursday, March 23, 2023, the Impire Hotel in the city once again started its 'Free Iftaar’ scheme that it has been running for the last four years.
Located near the State Bank Bus Stand in the city, the restaurant offers free food for people fasting during the month of Ramadan. Those fasting can turn up at the restaurant during the Iftaar hour and can benefit from the free Iftaar facility.
One of the owner-partner of the restaurant K Muhammad Sarfraz, claims he serves the same food at the free Iftaar meal that he himself eats without compromising on the quality of the food items or ingredients.
“Not just during Ramadan, even during the non-Ramadan days, people who cannot afford food can come and eat at our restaurant. We run the business with the motive that people need not have money to eat at our restaurant,” Sarfaraz who is on an Umrah pilgrimage in Makkah along with his other owner-partner of restaurant Muhammad Thanveez told Vartha Bharati.
“I envision a Mangaluru where nobody sleeps hungry. So whenever someone cannot afford food, and comes to us, we serve them and do not ask any questions. They do not even have to inform us before eating that they cannot afford the food, it has happened before,” Sarfaraz added.
During the Iftaar hours, all the tables at the restaurant are arranged with snacks and Iftaar food items including date and juice. People who wish to break their fast at the restaurant come and take seats and wait for Azaan's call to break their fasts.
The restaurant also offers meals for supper (Sehri) but it is only free for those who cannot financially afford the meal and those who can pay, shall pay, Sarfaraz added.
Owner-Partners Mohammed Sarfaraz (Left), and Mohammed Thanveez
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CERT-In warns of ‘ghostpairing’ attack targeting whatsApp users, flags high-risk account takeovers
New Delhi: India’s national cybersecurity agency, the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), has issued a high-severity alert warning WhatsApp users of an active account takeover campaign using a new technique known as “GhostPairing," in an advisory released on December 19.
CERT-In said cybercriminals are exploiting WhatsApp’s device-linking feature to gain unauthorised access to user accounts without the need for passwords or SIM card swaps, as reported by The Indian Express. The attackers, the agency warned, deceive users into entering pairing codes, which silently grants control of the account to a malicious device.
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According to CERT-In, the GhostPairing method works by tricking victims into approving an attacker’s browser as a trusted linked device. The advisory said, “The attack manipulates users into granting access through a pairing code that appears legitimate." It further added that once access is granted, attackers can fully operate the account through WhatsApp Web.
Last month, the Department of Telecommunications directed messaging platforms such as WhatsApp, Signal and Telegram to implement continuous SIM binding which required accounts to remain linked to an active SIM card. As part of this directive, companion web sessions are expected to be logged out periodically and re-authenticated using QR codes.
CERT-In said the GhostPairing campaign typically begins with a message appearing to come from a trusted contact, often reading, “Hi, check this photo”. The message contains a link designed to mimic a Facebook-style preview, and clicking the link leads users to a fake verification page, where they are prompted to enter their phone number and a code. Victims unknowingly allow attackers to link their WhatsApp account to an external device, by completing these steps,.
Once compromised, attackers can access messages, photos, videos and voice notes in real time, and can impersonate the victim to send messages to individual contacts or groups, the agency said.
The advisory also noted that WhatsApp currently allows multiple devices to be linked to a single account, a feature that is being misused in such attacks. In October, the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre under the Ministry of Home Affairs had flagged a related trend involving scammers using social media advertisements to lure users into linking their WhatsApp accounts.
While the government’s SIM-binding push is intended to limit such fraud, it has raised concerns among legal experts and digital rights groups, who argue that constant SIM verification, could affect privacy and disrupt multi-device usage, particularly for professionals.
To reduce risk, CERT-In has urged users to avoid clicking on suspicious links, even if they appear to come from known contacts, and to never enter phone numbers or verification codes on external websites claiming to be linked to WhatsApp or Facebook. Users have also been advised to regularly review the “Linked Devices” section within WhatsApp settings and immediately log out of any unfamiliar sessions.
For organisations relying on WhatsApp for communication, the agency has recommended security awareness training, closer monitoring for phishing attempts, and the establishment of clear response protocols to detect and contain account compromises quickly.
