Dr. Haider Abbas, Director General of Pakistan National Cyber Emergency Response Team (National CERT), has revealed that more than 400 cyberattacks targeted Pakistan during 2026, with all of them successfully thwarted through timely detection and response. Speaking about the country’s evolving cyber threat landscape, Dr. Abbas said cybersecurity has become an integral part of national security and can no longer be treated as only a technical issue. He noted that some of the attacks were state sponsored and stressed that continuous monitoring, rapid threat detection, and effective incident response remain essential to protecting Pakistan’s digital infrastructure. According to the National CERT chief, proactive cybersecurity measures enabled authorities to prevent the attacks before they caused significant damage to government systems and critical services.
To strengthen Pakistan’s cyber defence capabilities, Dr. Abbas proposed the establishment of a National Cyber Security Authority that would operate under the prime minister and oversee cybersecurity management across the country. He said a centralized authority would improve coordination among institutions and strengthen the national response to emerging cyber threats. The National CERT chief also emphasized the importance of accountability, recommending that organizations failing to implement required cybersecurity measures should face penalties. Referring to the National Cyber Security Policy 2021, he said every institution is required to develop and implement its own cybersecurity strategy. While institutions such as PTA, State Bank of Pakistan and NADRA have already introduced cybersecurity strategies, he noted that several other organizations, including OGRA and NEPRA, have yet to make meaningful progress in developing their own security frameworks. Dr. Abbas said stronger institutional coordination and enforcement are necessary to improve Pakistan’s overall cyber resilience.
Dr. Abbas also revealed that Pakistan’s baseline cybersecurity standards have already been presented to the federal cabinet for approval. He expressed hope that the standards would receive approval soon, allowing their implementation across government institutions, with full adoption expected by the end of this year. As part of broader efforts to reduce security risks associated with foreign technology, he said National CERT has proposed a formal mechanism to evaluate all imported software and hardware before deployment in the country. Supporting this initiative, Pakistan has established a Common Criteria Lab to test and certify software and hardware for security compliance. According to Dr. Abbas, all software and hardware used within government institutions will undergo mandatory security screening, while Pakistan Security Standard is scheduled for full implementation from June 2028. He said these measures are intended to strengthen trust in digital systems and improve the security of government technology infrastructure.
Alongside strengthening cybersecurity governance, Dr. Abbas called for dedicated legislation to regulate the safe and responsible use of artificial intelligence in Pakistan. He warned that artificial intelligence has the potential to be misused as a weapon if appropriate legal safeguards are not introduced. According to the National CERT chief, the rapid adoption of AI technologies across multiple sectors makes it increasingly important to establish a legal framework that promotes secure and responsible use while minimizing emerging risks. He acknowledged that many Pakistani institutions have made notable progress in cybersecurity and said National CERT is working to improve collaboration among government organizations to strengthen the country’s overall cyber defence capabilities. By enhancing coordination, implementing national security standards, and encouraging responsible adoption of emerging technologies, National CERT aims to improve Pakistan’s preparedness against evolving digital threats.
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