The federal government has constituted a high-powered National Committee for Information & Communication Security (NCICS) to develop a comprehensive security framework covering all ministries, divisions, and public sector organisations, The News reported, citing a notification issued by the Cabinet Division.
The NCICS will be chaired by the Secretary of the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication and will include senior representatives from the Inter-Services Intelligence (technical wing), Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, National Cyber Emergency Response Team, National Telecommunication and Information Security Board, the Cabinet Division, and nominated members from provincial governments, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Representatives from the Finance Division, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and academia may also be co-opted as required.
The committee’s mandate includes assessing and monitoring government information systems, identifying security gaps, reviewing completed cyber and IT audits, and recommending corrective measures.
Areas of focus include national cybersecurity governance, human resource development for cybersecurity, implementation of technical controls, and security aspects of procurement.
The NCICS will also conduct gap assessments in critical sectors such as health, energy, civil aviation, and transportation, and develop a compliance mechanism linking information security controls with organisational performance indicators.
Under the framework, a Federal Computer Emergency Response Team (FCERT) will be established under the National Cyber Emergency Response Team to address information security needs of federal ministries and organisations, with the option to engage managed security service providers.
To support implementation, several tiered committees will be formed, including an Information Security Working Committee to conduct technical assessments, an HR Restructuring Committee to optimise existing manpower for cybersecurity roles, a Financial Planning Committee to develop funding plans for security projects, and a committee to conduct security audits of overseas missions of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Cabinet Division will act as the secretariat for the NCICS, coordinating its operations and implementation across government entities.
