The National Cyber Emergency Response Team (CERT) has directed all government and federal websites in Pakistan to move into a Read Only operational mode as part of an urgent cybersecurity advisory issued in response to rising regional tensions and an increase in hacktivist activity. The directive has been issued as a preventive measure aimed at reducing exposure of official digital platforms to cyberattacks and coordinated disinformation campaigns. According to the advisory, all government departments are required to act immediately to minimize unauthorized access risks and strengthen their overall cybersecurity posture across public facing digital systems.
The advisory highlights multiple active threat vectors targeting government infrastructure. One of the primary risks identified is website defacement, where attackers alter public facing content to spread propaganda, misinformation, or misleading narratives. CERT also noted that interactive website features such as contact forms, search functions, and login portals may be exploited through SQL injection techniques, potentially exposing sensitive citizen data stored in backend systems. In addition, attackers may attempt to abuse file upload functionalities to introduce malicious web shells, which can provide persistent and long term unauthorized access to compromised servers. The advisory further warns that complex backend database queries may be leveraged to trigger Denial of Service attacks, potentially overloading systems and making essential government services temporarily unavailable. Weaknesses in Content Management Systems, particularly outdated plugins and themes, have also been identified as common entry points for attackers. The threat landscape includes both state sponsored advanced persistent threat groups and ideologically motivated hacktivist actors, with objectives ranging from stealthy long term infiltration to high visibility disruption through public website defacement. Potentially affected systems include federal and provincial government portals, citizen service platforms, and internal government databases that support digital public services.
To counter these risks, the National CERT has issued a series of immediate technical recommendations that government bodies are required to implement without delay. Departments have been instructed to block all modification based requests on public websites, effectively shifting systems into a Read Only state where no external changes can be made. Interactive components such as forms and login systems must be disabled, while database write permissions are to be strictly removed to prevent unauthorized data manipulation. The advisory also recommends strengthening traffic management through the deployment of Content Delivery Networks to absorb sudden spikes in malicious traffic. Organizations have further been advised to implement file integrity monitoring systems to detect any unauthorized changes to website files or configurations in real time. Strict IP based access controls are also recommended so that backend administrative systems remain accessible only to verified and authorized personnel. These layered controls are intended to reduce attack surfaces while maintaining essential availability of government digital services under constrained operational conditions.
In addition to preventive controls, CERT has emphasized preparedness for potential incidents by maintaining static website snapshots that can be quickly deployed in case of compromise. Government entities are also advised to maintain offline backups of critical systems to ensure rapid recovery in the event of disruption or data loss. Continuous monitoring of website activity logs has been strongly encouraged to detect unusual behavior patterns that may indicate early stage intrusion attempts. All government departments have been instructed to report any suspicious activity or security incidents directly to CERT through cert@pkcert.gov.pk. The advisory underscores that these combined measures are necessary to safeguard Pakistan’s digital infrastructure from evolving cyber threats and to ensure continuity of public digital services during periods of heightened risk.
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