Pakistan’s National Cyber Emergency Response Team, commonly known as National CERT, has successfully completed a comprehensive five day ISO IEC 27035 training program aimed at strengthening cybersecurity preparedness among government institutions. Conducted in Islamabad through National CERT’s Capacity Building Directorate, the training initiative focused on enhancing incident management capabilities, improving information security resilience, and promoting effective cybersecurity governance practices across the public sector. Officials stated that the program reflects National CERT’s continued efforts to strengthen institutional readiness and improve the ability of government organizations to identify, assess, and respond to evolving cyber threats in a more structured and coordinated manner.
A total of 54 government employees from various ministries, divisions, and attached departments participated in the training program. Designed in accordance with National CERT’s Cybersecurity Training Guidelines, the sessions covered a broad range of cybersecurity incident management topics aligned with ISO IEC 27035 standards. Participants received instruction on incident identification, reporting procedures, response planning, assessment methodologies, coordination frameworks, and globally recognized practices for managing cybersecurity incidents and recovery efforts. The program aimed to provide practical knowledge and internationally accepted methodologies that can strengthen organizational preparedness against increasingly sophisticated cyber risks. As government institutions continue to digitize operations and handle sensitive public data, cybersecurity readiness has become an important component of institutional resilience and operational continuity.
National CERT stated that the training sessions were designed to encourage active participation and practical learning through expert led discussions, case studies, demonstrations, and collaborative engagement. Participants reportedly showed strong interest throughout the five day program, contributing actively to discussions surrounding cybersecurity governance, incident handling strategies, and preventive security measures. Officials noted that the interactive structure of the sessions helped attendees better understand real world cybersecurity challenges while improving awareness regarding incident response frameworks and response coordination within government environments. The initiative also emphasized the importance of adopting proactive cybersecurity practices to reduce institutional vulnerabilities and strengthen defensive capabilities against emerging digital threats targeting critical systems and public infrastructure.
As part of the training, Mr. Adli Wahid, Senior Internet Security Specialist at APNIC Australia, conducted an interactive session focused on international cybersecurity trends, emerging digital risks, and best practices in cyber resilience and incident response. The session encouraged knowledge sharing and professional discussion among participants while providing additional global perspectives on cybersecurity preparedness. During the closing ceremony, Director General National CERT, Dr. Haider Abbas, TI, distributed participation certificates to attendees and acknowledged their commitment and engagement throughout the training program. He appreciated the participants’ enthusiasm and dedication toward professional development while reaffirming National CERT’s commitment to developing skilled cybersecurity professionals through capacity building initiatives aimed at supporting Pakistan’s secure digital transformation and strengthening cybersecurity culture within government institutions.
Follow the SPIN IDG WhatsApp Channel for updates across the Smart Pakistan Insights Network covering all of Pakistan’s technology ecosystem.
