Defence Day Cyber Threat: Pakistan Tightens Digital Security
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has placed key government and critical infrastructure institutions on heightened cyber security alert ahead of Defence Day, with authorities directing organizations to strengthen digital defenses from September 5 to 7 amid concerns over possible cyber attacks.
The National Cyber Emergency Response Team has instructed sectoral and provincial Computer Emergency Response Teams (CERTs), along with organizations operating critical information infrastructure, to establish dedicated cyber security control rooms during the three-day period.
Authorities have also directed institutions to remain vigilant against suspicious digital activity and immediately report major cyber incidents, potential breaches and other security threats.
The National Security Operations Center (NSOC) will serve as the country’s central cyber coordination point during Defence Day. It will monitor the national cyber environment around the clock and facilitate the exchange of critical information among relevant institutions.
The center will also assist in coordinating responses to major cyber incidents capable of disrupting Pakistan’s critical digital infrastructure.
Websites, APIs and Email Systems Under Increased Monitoring
The National CERT has advised critical organizations to continuously monitor their networks, systems, websites and digital services.
Government and other critical institutions have been asked to take additional measures to secure public-facing websites, portals, APIs and email infrastructure. Organizations have been urged to keep Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) and Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) protection enabled while ensuring that web systems remain fully updated.
Security teams have also been instructed to maintain rapid communication and escalation procedures so that cyber incidents can be addressed without delay.
MFA and Stronger Access Controls Recommended
Administrative accounts are another major focus of the security advisory. Institutions have been directed to implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) and stronger access controls to reduce the risk of unauthorized access.
Organizations have also been advised to keep operating systems and security software updated and disable unnecessary services that could increase their attack surface.
Firewalls and cyber threat detection systems for critical servers should remain active, while sensitive databases should not be exposed directly to public IP addresses.
Continuous monitoring of security logs has also been recommended to help security teams identify unusual activity at an early stage.
Backup and Disaster Recovery Arrangements Strengthened
The National CERT has further instructed critical organizations to ensure that disaster recovery facilities are ready for immediate use.
Important systems, configurations and data should have secure offline or air-gapped backups, while recovery procedures should be tested to ensure critical services can be restored following a cyber incident.
Data centers and Security Operations Centers have also been advised to maintain alternative internet connectivity as well as reliable UPS and generator backup.
The heightened security measures will remain in place from September 5 to 7, covering the period around Pakistan’s Defence Day on September 6.
Officials have emphasized coordination, continuous monitoring and rapid incident reporting as key elements of the national effort to protect critical digital infrastructure during the heightened-risk period.