Pakistan’s National Cyber Emergency Response Team (National CERT) has sounded the alarm over what it describes as a critical rise in cyberattacks targeting the personal information of citizens. In a new advisory, the agency has urged both organizations and individuals to strengthen defenses immediately, warning that weak security practices are leaving sensitive data dangerously exposed.
Citizen Data Under Growing Threat
The advisory comes amid a surge in data breaches, identity theft, and privacy violations across financial services, healthcare, telecom, and other sectors. According to National CERT, any institution that stores or processes personally identifiable information (PII)—such as CNIC numbers, health records, or banking details—now faces significant risk, whether operating on physical servers, cloud platforms, or hybrid setups.
Officials stressed that the stakes go beyond personal privacy. Inadequate security controls can lead to financial fraud, large-scale service disruptions, and reputational harm, while also undermining national security. Pakistan’s own Cybersecurity Policy 2021 classifies citizen data protection as a matter of both state stability and public trust.
Why Organizations Are Falling Behind
National CERT identified a familiar list of weaknesses fueling the problem: outdated IT systems, unencrypted data transfers, careless installation of apps, and poor cyber hygiene within organizations. These gaps, the agency warned, are exactly what hackers exploit to gain unauthorized access. Failure to address them could also bring regulatory consequences under laws like the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016.
What Companies Are Being Told to Do
The advisory lays out a set of urgent measures for institutions, including:
- Categorizing data by sensitivity and enforcing strict access restrictions.
- Encrypting personal data both at rest and in transit.
- Regularly updating and patching software systems.
- Adopting secure development practices to minimize vulnerabilities.
- Storing personal data only for as long as legally required.
- Preparing detailed breach-response plans and reviewing third-party vendor security.
For long-term resilience, organizations are advised to embrace zero-trust architectures, maintain disaster recovery strategies, and invest in continuous workforce training to build a stronger security culture.
Advice for Everyday Citizens
National CERT also cautioned individuals to take responsibility for their own digital safety. Pakistanis are urged to share CNICs or personal documents only when absolutely necessary and to mark photocopies with clear usage labels (e.g., “For SIM registration only”). Strong, unique passwords—ideally paired with multi-factor authentication—are considered essential. Citizens should also avoid downloading apps from unverified sources and think twice before sharing sensitive details online.
A Strategic Imperative, Not Just Compliance
The agency underlined that protecting personal information should not be seen as a box-ticking exercise for regulatory compliance. Instead, it framed cybersecurity as a strategic necessity for safeguarding Pakistan’s digital infrastructure and rebuilding public trust in online services.
