National Cyber Emergency Response Team has issued an advisory directing government departments across Pakistan to place their official websites into read only mode following increased concerns over potential cyberattacks targeting national digital infrastructure. The directive comes amid rising risks of hostile cyber activity aimed at exploiting vulnerabilities in public sector online platforms. Authorities have been urged to take immediate preventive measures to safeguard sensitive data and ensure the continued availability of government services.
According to the advisory, the move to read only mode is intended to reduce the risk of unauthorised changes, prevent misuse of online features, and limit the attack surface available to threat actors. Government institutions have been instructed to restrict all modification requests on their websites, disable interactive features such as forms and login systems, and enhance database level protections. The advisory highlights that these measures are necessary to protect against attempts to manipulate website content, spread misleading information, or disrupt digital services relied upon by citizens.
Security officials have outlined several methods through which attackers may attempt to compromise government systems. These include exploiting website contact forms, search functions, and file upload features to gain access to backend systems or deploy malicious web shells. Such techniques can allow attackers to establish persistent access, enabling them to monitor systems or carry out further attacks over time. In addition, the advisory warns of the risk of denial of service attacks initiated through complex backend queries, which could overwhelm servers and render government websites inaccessible.
The threat landscape described in the advisory includes both state backed advanced persistent threat groups and ideologically driven hacktivists. These actors may target government platforms for various purposes, including long term infiltration, data extraction, or defacement of public facing websites to spread misinformation and erode public confidence. Officials have stressed that immediate action is necessary to mitigate these risks, emphasizing the importance of strengthening digital defenses across all government departments. The advisory reinforces the need for proactive cybersecurity practices to ensure that Pakistan’s digital infrastructure remains secure in the face of evolving threats.
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