Islamabad: Over the years, Pakistan has survived numerous cyber attacks by multiple state and non-state actors, so dynamic policies and laws are needed to deal with the threat.
This was stated by Brigadier (r) Mohammad Yasin, Adviser Emeritus, Institute for Sustainable Development Policy, initiating a discussion at the 63rd meeting of the SDPI Study Group on Information Technology and Telecommunications (ICT).
Pakistan has such policies and laws that obviously cannot be static and must evolve to keep pace with impending cyber threats and attacks, Brigadier General Yasin said.
Dr. Muhammad Mukaram Khan, CEO, Cyber Vigilance, Pakistan Telecom Authority said it was time to act now to ensure implementation laws / policies. Warning of threats, including cyber incidents in the industry, he stressed the need to identify data breaches. Pakistan is among the 10 most targeted countries in the world, so copyright and trademark infringement requires international legal responses and cooperation from countries regarding cybercrime. Pakistan must ensure the strengthening of system security, the revision of PECA-2016 in PECA-2022, as well as the role of social media through the establishment of PTA-approved telecom operators.
Prof. Dr Haider Abbas, Military Signal College, University of Science and Technology, said Pakistan is living in an era of cyber security, which requires meeting human expectations regarding the lack of skills in cyber security. Mentioning the lack of participation of women in the labor force in order to face the challenges in Pakistan, he said that they are inadequate for crime prevention. “We need human resource capacity building, the inclusion of customized programs, the establishment of centers and laboratories of excellence, startups and public-private partnerships in terms of skills development. He said that the development of cyber security through educational programs should be developed through research, competitions, and through encouraging young people to compete in cyber security. He recommended partnerships between industry and academia to ensure capacity building to assess cyber security issues. He also stressed the undertaking of academic research programs by the Commission for Higher Education and the funding of interdisciplinary research that includes psychology and cyber security skills. He further suggested organizing webinars and training in various laboratories in government organizations to implement laws and policies.
Dr. Abid Qaiyum Suleri, executive director of the SDPI, concluded that cybersecurity policy must take full responsibility of the government for the implementation of national cybersecurity policies. The potential export mechanism for strengthening cyber security for the economic perspective includes defense. Internet of Things devices should be managed by software companies with a joint partnership with the Internet of Things (IoT) arena in Pakistan, he said, adding that data will be strategically secured on cloud services or google drives. “New harmonization for five-eye international cooperation, such as the United States, Great Britain, New Zealand, Canada and the EU, should be integrated for strategic benefit,” he said.
Aslam Hayat, Senior Policy Associate, LIRNEAZIJA; Partner HaYat and Noorwala; The former head of the Telenor Regulatory Wing Pakistan said that Pakistan’s cyber security policy meets current needs. Speaking about the indicators related to the success of any policy, he said that the framework, the principles of excessive achievement and good practice take an hour to focus on policies. Pakistan, ranked 79th in the Global Cyber Security Index, needs to invest in building human resource capacity for cyber security. He stressed the need to strengthen national cybersecurity policy by identifying real risks and challenges, and building trust in digital transactions to improve Pakistan’s ICT rankings for implementation and monitoring by stakeholders.
Ameena Sohail, executive partner of Precision Consultants and former member (legal) in the Ministry of Information Technology, sought a way forward by highlighting the measure of the country’s commitment to the UN International Telecommunication Union (ITU) cybersecurity that includes legal, technical, organizational, capacity building and internal cooperation . To secure crimes such as cyber-terrorism, she said hate speech needed an interest in crimes affecting the social fabric. The FIA, as the designated agency, should play its role in providing training in detecting crimes of dignity, modesty, cyber-stalking and spam, she said, adding that the Interior Ministry and the Ministry of Information Technology must be technically equipped to combat cybercrime. challenges. “It is the responsibility of the Pakistani Telecommunications Authority to remove illegal Internet content in accordance with our laws.” In order to maintain protective measures and precautionary measures in the handling of computer emergencies, international cooperation in the investigation should be established, she suggested.
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