Business Model of the database:

• Access to the database costs USD 9,000. It reportedly has 20,000 subscribers, implying annual revenues of USD 180 million. However, the company is based in a small house in Delhi at the address mentioned above, which is unusual for a company with such high revenues and contrary to established norms. While we have verified the payment, the number of users is uncertain. Or potentially completely fake.
• The company reports data that is subsequently presented as international goods movement data, sourced from declarations submitted to customs in countries where such data cannot be properly obtained. However, the specific sources of the data and their accuracy cannot be verified. Certainly, the database operator is unable to verify them and denies any responsibility.  The source areas of the database include India, Russia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Turkey, among others, totalling 55 countries. Notably, the Czech Republic is missing from this list. Additionally, the company reportedly collects data from various other sources, including statistical data, data from the Suez Canal, and more.
• Customs data is routinely recorded with government authorities for both imports and exports. The data is recorded in the customs invoice or customs declaration by the exporter or importer, who then submits it to customs. This data is not publicly available. Subsequently, it is expected to make its way, somewhat obscurely, into a private database labelled as "unofficial". Although this process undoubtedly occurs, its conclusiveness remains dubious.
• The data in the database can be altered even after being inserted by means of electronic warfare. Since the database is just non-binding business information for a fee, there is no reason to protect and control it in any extreme manner. And considering the target of the alleged Russian action concerning the database, the action could have involved a combination of various forms of data tampering.

In any case, the data in the database does not serve the purpose of confirmation or proof; it does not function as an official register. Historically, the database has not been used to track individual trades; its focus lies on tracking trends, declared prices in aggregate, and similar aspects. Nevertheless, we suspect that it has been misused for other purposes based on inaccurately entered data, given the absence of a verification system to prevent such misuse.

Thus, to insert false PBS data, all that was needed was to obtain the production numbers of the shipment, which is not difficult.