The federal government has decided to set up a Cybersecurity Authority to strengthen the country’s digital security landscape and safeguard critical information systems.
The Ministry of Information Technology has confirmed that a preliminary draft of the Cybersecurity Act has been created and distributed to stakeholders for consultation.
The ministry stated that a national framework for digital protection is already provided by the National Cybersecurity Policy and is presently being implemented under the Digital Economy Enhancement Program.
The Secure Data Exchange Layer and digital identification efforts have advanced, according to government records. The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), NADRA, and the telecom industry are all recognized as key digital infrastructure. Additionally, the process of designating immigration and passport services as critical infrastructure is currently in progress.
According to officials, the new authority will be in charge of enforcing cybersecurity programs nationwide and suggesting cybersecurity measures for vital national infrastructure.
Meanwhile, the Pakistan Information Security Framework 2025 is under development, and until the new authority becomes functional, the CERT Council consisting of 14 public and private sector institutions will continue to lead national cyber incident coordination and response.