In a proactive approach to enhance cybersecurity measures, the government of Pakistan issued 64 cybersecurity advisories in 2023.
These advisories, disseminated by the cabinet division, aimed to raise awareness among both government officials and citizens regarding the escalating threats of cyberattacks.
Comparing the recent figures, it is evident that the government has intensified its efforts in this domain. In 2022, 57 advisories were issued, marking a significant increase from the previous year. The year 2021 witnessed the government issuing a total of 90 advisories, emphasizing the growing importance of cybersecurity. In 2020, 28 advisories were released, marking the inception of a more vigilant approach.
The range of advisories covered a spectrum of cyber threats, including malware, dubious applications, activities of Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) groups, warnings against fraudulent links and emails, identification of vulnerabilities in various products, cautionary notes about financial scams, spoofed messages, and impersonation attempts, etc.
To address the evolving landscape of cyber threats, the government of Pakistan took a strategic step in 2020 by establishing the National Telecommunication and Information Security Board (NTISB) under the cabinet division. Over the past three years, NTISB has played a crucial role in issuing timely advisories to enhance the cybersecurity posture of the nation.
In a recent development, the government has approved the Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) rules for the year 2023. The Ministry of IT and Telecom is actively in the process of notifying the establishment of the National CERT.
According to the ministry, the implementation of National and Sectoral CERTs will significantly enhance the response time to cyberattacks, ensuring a more efficient and systemic approach to cybersecurity in the country.
