Pakistan has started building a dedicated Federal Computer Emergency Response Team (FCERT) to enhance cybersecurity capabilities across federal government institutions. National CERT Pakistan has announced the recruitment of skilled cybersecurity professionals for the newly established FCERT team, which will work to protect government digital infrastructure through cyber threat monitoring, incident detection, response coordination, threat intelligence and cyber resilience support.
The initiative has been introduced under the framework of CERT Rules 2023, under which Federal CERT will serve federal government entities by providing specialized cybersecurity services. The recruitment announcement was shared by Haider Abbas, DG and Head of National CERT Pakistan, who invited cybersecurity professionals to join the FCERT team and contribute to strengthening the security posture of government systems. The team will operate under the leadership of the Director FCERT, a position designated at PPS-11/BPS-21 level, and will focus on developing a dedicated workforce capable of handling cybersecurity challenges in a fast paced environment.
Federal CERT will play a key role in improving cybersecurity coordination among federal ministries, divisions, departments and other government organizations. Its responsibilities will include monitoring cyber threats, detecting potential security incidents, supporting response activities, sharing threat intelligence and assisting institutions in improving their overall cyber resilience. The establishment of FCERT is part of broader efforts to create structured cybersecurity mechanisms for public sector organizations and improve protection against emerging digital risks.
The Federal CERT will function as a Sectoral CERT under National CERT through Government CERT and will coordinate cybersecurity efforts across federal institutions. The team will also support activities such as security assessments, vulnerability reviews, malware analysis, incident response and recovery assistance following cybersecurity incidents. As part of its operational structure, FCERT will establish a Security Operations Centre (SOC) staffed by cybersecurity professionals to continuously monitor and protect federal digital systems. Under CERT Rules 2023, federal institutions will also be required to report cybersecurity incidents to their relevant Sectoral CERT and National CERT within one hour of detection. Through the recruitment drive, FCERT aims to attract technically skilled professionals who can contribute to securing Pakistan’s government digital infrastructure. Interested candidates can apply through the National Job Portal at https://njp.gov.pk/. The formation of a dedicated Federal CERT team reflects the government’s focus on strengthening cybersecurity capabilities, improving incident management processes and creating a coordinated approach for protecting critical public sector systems.
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