In a significant step toward strengthening Pakistan’s cybersecurity posture, the National Cyber Emergency Response Team (National CERT) has conducted a specialized training session on “How to Establish a Security Operations Center (SOC)” at the 5th International Conference on Communication Technologies (ComTech-2025), held in Rawalpindi. The training was specifically tailored for professionals from Sectoral CERTs, regulatory authorities, and other key stakeholders, and emphasized both strategic insights and technical execution for developing a resilient cybersecurity ecosystem in Pakistan.
The training, organized as part of National CERT’s broader initiative to build institutional cyber resilience, offered participants a hands-on, immersive experience in the foundational and advanced components of setting up a Security Operations Center. Participants were walked through a detailed roadmap for planning, launching, and managing a functional SOC, with particular emphasis on real-time monitoring, incident response workflows, SOC scalability, and integration with AI-powered threat intelligence systems. This training not only offered technical acumen but also explored practical governance frameworks necessary for aligning with national CERT Rules and the three-tier CERT architecture model that includes national, sectoral, and organizational CERTs.
One of the most compelling aspects of the training was the dialogue it facilitated across institutions. By creating an environment for interactive discussions and scenario-based problem-solving, National CERT encouraged knowledge exchange on the challenges and operational solutions involved in building SOCs in different sectors. The workshop placed particular importance on scalability and adaptability—key components in developing SOCs that can evolve with emerging threat landscapes and integrate seamlessly across both public and private infrastructure.
The event saw participation from a broad spectrum of Pakistan’s most critical institutions, demonstrating the strategic importance and national relevance of this cybersecurity effort. Attendees included representatives from the State Bank of Pakistan, Ministry of Defence (MoD), Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA), National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA), Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL), Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL), Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), K-Electric, Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA), Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MoIB), National Assembly, Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training (MoFEP&T), Airports Security Force (ASF), Ministry of Industries and Production (MoIP), Supreme Court of Pakistan, Peshawar Electric Supply Company (PESCO), Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC), Balochistan University (BU), Frequency Allocation Board (FAB), Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX), National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), Central Depository Company (CDC), National Clearing Company of Pakistan Limited (NCCPL), Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority (PNRA), National Human Capital Development (NHCD), Heavy Industries Taxila (HIT), Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), National Radio & Telecommunication Corporation (NRTC), and the Home Department of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
By engaging this diverse set of institutions, the training not only reinforced National CERT’s mission of promoting cross-sector collaboration but also reflected a growing national consensus on the importance of operational cyber defense capacity. The initiative aligns with Pakistan’s broader digital security ambitions under the umbrella of the “Digital Pakistan” vision, positioning the nation to better defend itself against modern cyber threats while enabling seamless public-private information security coordination.
This capacity-building effort underlines National CERT’s role as a national enabler in cybersecurity readiness, fostering a culture of prevention, early detection, and rapid response. As more institutions move toward digital transformation, SOCs are becoming indispensable in ensuring that security operations are not reactive, but proactive, intelligent, and integrated.
Through this training, National CERT not only empowered technical professionals with critical skills but also contributed to laying the groundwork for a unified national cyber defense architecture—one that is robust, scalable, and capable of responding to the demands of an increasingly complex threat environment.
