The federal government has proposed a change in the Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) rules.
Sources in the Ministry of IT and Telecommunication (MoITT) told ProPakistani that the CERT Council will be formed under the CERT Rules. The federal government, while approving the CERT Rules, has directed to include a representative of the Cabinet Division in the CERT Council.
There will be representatives of the Ministry of Law, Ministry of Commerce, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), and other important institutions in the CERT Council and the role of this Council will be advisory. The Ministry of Law will make changes in the rules as per the instructions of the Cabinet, after which the rules will be notified.
Sources said the National Computer Emergency Team (nCERT) and Sectoral CERTs will be notified after the issuance of rules notification. Sectoral CERTs will be formed for Defense, Telecom, Banking and finance, Power, and other important sectors.
A separate secretariat of the National CERT will be established and the National Telecom and Information Security Board (NTISB) will initially assist it. A letter will also be written to the provincial governments to make provincial CERTs, a computer emergency response center is already working in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and it can be converted into a provincial CERT.
The federal cabinet approved the Computer Emergency Response Team Rules 10 days ago. According to MoITT, after views and comments from all stakeholders and approval from the cabinet committee, the rules were sent to the federal cabinet for approval. After the rules are notified, steps will be taken to establish a cyber-secure ecosystem in Pakistan.
