Govt moves to set up federal cybersecurity authority

The government has decided to establish a Cybersecurity Authority at the federal level to strengthen national digital security and oversee the protection of critical information systems, according to the Ministry of Information Technology. 

As per a news report, the ministry said work is ongoing on the Pakistan Information Security Framework 2025. The proposed authority will recommend cybersecurity measures for critical national infrastructure and implement cybersecurity initiatives across the country. The ministry has prepared an initial draft of the Cybersecurity Act and circulated it among stakeholders for review.

Officials said the National Cybersecurity Policy is already under implementation through the Digital Economy Enhancement Programme. Progress has been reported on the Secure Data Exchange Layer and digital identity projects.

Government documents show that NADRA, the Federal Board of Revenue and the telecom sector have been formally classified as critical digital infrastructure, with the protection of their information systems designated a priority. The process of declaring Immigration and Passports systems as critical infrastructure is also underway.

Until the new authority is operational, the CERT Council, comprising 14 public and private institutions,will continue leading cyber incident coordination and response.