DG FIA Dr. Sanaullah Abbasi Discusses Cybersecurity in Pakistan at Institute of Business Management

In recent years, headlines about cybersecurity, data leakages, and hacks of everything from financial information to personal details have become increasingly common.

The importance of keeping information safe and secure has never been more important for governments, corporations, and individuals alike and has accelerated especially in the wake of COVID-19 as we have shifted primarily to digital-first mediums.

To discuss and educate its students on this matter, a webinar was held with Dr. Sanaullah Abbasi – Director General, Federal Investigation Agency for the students of the Institute of Business Management (IoBM).

Dr. Sanuallah, who has previously served as Inspector General of Police Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, is the recipient of the Quaid-e-Azam Police Medal and the Pakistan Police Medal, has authored a book on car lifting crimes, and is a faculty member at several renowned universities.

Moderated by Talib Karim, President at Institute of Business Management, the talk is part of a series of engagements by IoBM which focuses on engaging public servants and industry leaders to share their experiences and learnings with the students and the faculty.

The talk by Dr. Sanaullah revolved around cybercrimes and cyber security being the need of the hour for the younger generation.

He spoke about how the younger generation, which already constitutes 70% of our population, is a major user of digital media, and how it is crucial to understand the challenges of the digital world and ensure awareness of cybersecurity amongst the youth.

While cyberspace has had the positive impact of turning the world into a global village, there are some downsides of criminal activity as well. These changing trends have exacerbated the need for robust cybersecurity practices and systems that keep computer systems and electronic data safe.

In a world where more and more of our business and social lives are online, getting hacked isn’t just a direct threat to confidential data, it can also ruin relationships and brands, and even result in significant legal jeopardy.

To counter these kinds of criminal activities, the FIA has established two teams on cyber-surveillance and cyber investigations where the former deals with spotting cybercriminals, while the latter is all about investigation and arresting online criminals.

During his talk, Dr. Sanaullah shared that the FIA has received over 59,000 complaints in the past year, which is a challenge for the organization itself as it is still growing. With the help of the media, the FIA has arrested about 700 people involved in crimes ranging from fraud and defamation to harassment and pornography.

The FIA is also working to establish seven centers of excellence with seven universities of Pakistan that will collaborate with the agency for the safety of their students. Along with that, the FIA has collaborated internationally with WhatsApp and other social media platforms to ensure cybersecurity.

This session was very well received by the students and the staff of the institute. Towards the end, a Q&A session enlightened the students by providing answers to many of their questions and queries.

At the close of the session, Talib Karim thanked Dr. Sanaullah for sharing his views and stated that IoBM was committed to undertaking similar events aimed at spreading knowledge and learning amongst the general public.