Pakistan launches new agency to combat cybercrime

December 28, 2023 (MLN): The protection of Pakistan's cyberspace under the PECA Act is very important, and with no specific organization to act against cybercrime, a separate agency called the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency has been established, Caretaker IT Minister Dr. Umar Saif stated in his address at the Digital Pakistan Cybersecurity Hackathon 2023.

The event was organized by the National Technology Fund (Ignite), an organization of the Ministry of IT Telecom.

A cybercrime wing was created in FIA to look after Pakistan's cyberspace issues. “Now we have established a separate agency called the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency equipped with all the required equipment and skills,” he stated.

He said that cybercrime, online buying and selling, cyberbullying, protection of online data, other services of the country's citizens, identification of threats, and effective action against criminals are our core responsibilities.

Gradually, the authority to act against cybercrime is being transferred from FIA Cybercrime wing to this particular organization. Which will be able to take effective action against cybercrime.

With Pakistan's cyberspace, data of public and private institutions, business transactions, and online activities of citizens can be secured effectively.

The Federal IT Minister said that the first National Cyber Emergency Response Team (National CERTS) has also been established in Pakistan, Sectoral CERTS will be formed under this organization.

In other words, the government of Pakistan has created an entire infrastructure under an effective strategy against cybercrimes, which is being rapidly implemented to make it fully functional.

He said that as informed, 6 teams represented Pakistan at Blackhat's cybersecurity competition in Saudi Arabia this year and 4 of them were ranked in the top 35 teams out of 250 international teams who participated in the event.

Recognizing the need for robust collaboration, the IT Minister emphasizes the importance of a partnership between the government, private sector, and academia.

"The private sector's support for cybersecurity initiatives is pivotal, and we encourage ongoing collaboration to fortify our cybersecurity defenses." the minister remarked.

In his welcome address Chief Executive Officer IGNITE, Mr. Asim Shehryar Hussain said, "IT Ministry and Ignite are on a relentless pursuit of identifying and nurturing talent capable of thwarting malicious cyber attempts on our national networks."

He stated that progress is evident in the establishment of operational readiness for Pakistan's National Computer Emergency Response Team (NCERT) and the imminent institutionalization of a Cyber Security Authority.

Creating awareness about cybersecurity among the public is paramount, he added.

Asim Shehryar was of the view that education plays a crucial role in shaping a safer digital space, and it is imperative to collectively work towards this goal.

It is worth mentioning here that prior to the awards ceremony 21 teams from 6 cities were vying for cash awards totaling Rs3 million contested each other in a grand finale.

Furthermore, participants in the hands-on training sessions received training vouchers worth Rs6m, with awards extended to the top 50 individuals.

Notably, the top three winning teams from last year's hackathon have already been granted international sponsorship.

These teams secured their positions in the Black Hat Me competition held in November 2023 at Riyadh, KSA.

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