NCERT has set up a 24/7 National Cybersecurity Control Room to monitor and respond to incidents, directing ISPs and CERTs to report threats and follow baseline security measures.
Pakistan’s National Cyber Emergency Response Team (nCERT) has established a 24/7 National Cybersecurity Control Room at its headquarters, as authorities warn of a heightened cyber threat environment. The facility will act as a National Coordination Center for monitoring, analysing, and responding to cyber incidents, particularly during a sensitive security period when critical digital services could be targeted.
Why the Control Room Was Set Up and What It Will Do
An official notification says the control room was created amid concerns about possible targeted cyberattacks on critical government websites, networks, and national digital infrastructure. The goal is to improve real-time visibility over threats and enable faster coordination when incidents occur.
nCERT’s setup is meant to act as a central hub for incident monitoring and response. In practical terms, this involves collecting threat reports, analysing indicators of compromise, coordinating response actions across sectors, and supporting containment and recovery when attacks such as phishing, ransomware, or website defacement take place.
National coordination matters because many attacks spread quickly across connected systems. Early sharing of alerts can help block malicious traffic, reset compromised credentials, and reduce damage.
Directives for ISPs and CERTs
The notification instructs all Internet Service Providers (ISPs), Sectoral CERTs, and Provincial CERTs to establish dedicated monitoring setups and ensure round-the-clock surveillance of their networks and critical assets. They have also been told to immediately report suspicious activity or confirmed incidents to nCERT for a coordinated response.
The directive stresses strict coordination protocols that were previously used during national events and described as effective against hostile actors. It signals that organisations should avoid working in silos when threat levels rise.
Key stakeholders named include the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication (MoIT&T), PTA, NITB, NTC, provincial IT boards, and other bodies. They have been directed to nominate focal persons and submit updated contact details to nCERT by March 4, 2026.
Focal Persons and National-Level Coordination
To streamline escalation, nCERT has appointed two senior officials as focal persons for national-level coordination during the monitoring period: Dr. Muhammad Yousaf, Director CERT, and Dr. Mujahid Shah, Assistant Director (Incident Management).
Clear focal points matter in emergency operations because response quality often depends on speed and clarity. When organisations know who to contact for incident reporting and technical guidance, it reduces confusion in the early minutes of an attack.
For organisations, this also frames cybersecurity as a coordinated national risk issue rather than only an internal IT task, improving accountability and consistency in reporting.
Baseline Security Guidelines: The Main Technical Measures
The notification includes National Baseline Security Guidelines to prevent common cyber incidents such as phishing, website defacement, credential leaks, data breaches, ransomware, and system misconfigurations.
For email security, it recommends implementing SPF, DKIM, and DMARC to reduce spoofing. For web-facing services, it advises deploying Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) to help protect portals and websites.
It also stresses multi-factor authentication (MFA), encrypting data at rest and in transit, and enabling centralised logging through SIEM systems. Regular vulnerability scans are recommended to identify weaknesses early.
To reduce ransomware impact, organisations are advised to keep offline, air-gapped backups so attackers cannot encrypt backup copies along with primary data.
Business Continuity Steps to Keep Services Running
Alongside technical controls, the advisory calls for stronger business continuity and disaster recovery preparedness. This includes redundant ISP connections and tested failover mechanisms so services can stay online if a network path is disrupted.
It also highlights secure configuration management practices, meaning systems should be patched, hardened, and changes should be tracked and reviewed. Another key step is maintaining alternative communication channels for emergency escalation, so teams can coordinate even if email or primary tools are compromised.
Overall, the 24/7 control room reflects increased vigilance to protect the integrity, confidentiality, and availability of Pakistan’s digital infrastructure. For citizens and businesses, the practical outcome should be faster detection of threats and more coordinated action when public-facing services or critical networks come under pressure.
