ISLAMABAD: The government has established a system for integrating and exchanging threat intelligence at the national level. The locally run National SERT system has been linked to the PTA and the Cyber Division of the Pakistan Army, under which timely identification of cyber threats has become possible.
According to the National SERT system has been established through the Malware Information Sharing Platform. The National SERT system has been linked to the Pakistan Army Cyber Division and the PTA. Integrated national cyber defense has been ensured through information exchange between the three institutions. National cyber security has been further strengthened with the Threat Intelligence Sharing System.
The locally run MISP system strengthens the country’s cyber sovereignty. Timely identification of cyber threats has become possible with the central threat intelligence. Less dependence on external intelligence and improvement in state preparedness against modern threats. Timely awareness of threats targeting important national, government and telecom systems will be provided.
Rapid identification and response to threats in real time will limit the spread of cyber attacks, the threat intelligence sharing system will establish strong coordination between institutions, shared intelligence will help in threat hunting and prevention of threats in advance.
Meanwhile, the National Cert has directed immediate audit and strict monitoring of software and hardware, and the National Cert has made immediate audit of software and hardware used in all institutions mandatory.
The National Cert has warned that if software updates are not made secure, electricity, banking and defense systems may be affected, while communication devices, network management tools and industrial control systems are also at risk.
Sources say that suspicious foreign software has been discovered in the Islamabad Safe City project, after which the relevant institutions have been put on high alert, while a comprehensive scanning of software and hardware used in national infrastructure has been decided.
In this regard, the National Cert has also issued an advisory in which the National Cert has made it mandatory to conduct an immediate audit of the software and hardware used in all institutions and has directed a complete review of the ownership of vendors, logistics systems and supply chain.
According to the advisory, software testing has been instructed to be completed within one week and hardware testing within two weeks, while on detection of any malfunction or suspicious activity, the affected hardware must be immediately isolated and evidence must be preserved, and the vendor must be blacklisted.
The National Cert says that non-transparent vendors, insecure logistics and uncertified software can pose a serious threat to state security, while the global supply chain has now become a major front for cyber sabotage and espionage.
The advisory warns that if software updates are not secured, electricity, banking and defense systems can be affected, while communication devices, network management tools and industrial control systems are also at risk.