NCERT Issues Grave Warning! One Email Misstep Could Cost Millions – Here’s how to Save Yourself!
The National Cyber Emergency Response Team (National CERT) has issued a grave warning for all government departments, private sector organizations, and the general public. Advisory NCA-34.061725 reveals that Pakistan is facing a sharp rise in advanced email-based cyberattacks that exploit weak domain security configurations.
The advisory outlines that phishing, spoofing, BEC (Business Email Compromise), and malware attacks are being actively carried out by cybercriminals, state-sponsored threat actors, and hacktivist groups.
Who’s Behind the Attacks?
National CERT identifies three major threat actors:
- Cybercrime Groups – motivated by financial theft and ransomware
- State-Sponsored APTs – focused on espionage and destabilization
- Hacktivists – aiming to spread disinformation through fake narratives
These actors are targeting critical institutions by compromising official communications.
How Attacks Happen?
The attacks use sophisticated email techniques such as:
- Email Spoofing and Impersonation
- Spear-Phishing
- Fake Login Pages to Steal Credentials
- Malicious Attachments and Links
- BEC Frauds for Financial Redirection
What Makes These Attacks So Dangerous?
National CERT warns that the real danger lies in weak email domain configurations. The advisory highlights several critical vulnerabilities:
| WK Code | Vulnerability | Risk Level |
|---|---|---|
| WK-1 | No SPF/DKIM/DMARC | Critical |
| WK-2 | No DKIM | High |
| WK-3 | No DMARC | High |
| WK-4 | DMARC p=none | Medium |
| WK-5 | Missing DMARC sp tag |
High |
| WK-6 | SPF soft fail (~all) | Medium |
| WK-7 | DMARC with no SPF/DKIM | Critical |
Domains without these records are fully spoofable, putting every organization at risk of fraud, data breaches, and reputational damage.
What NCERT Recommends:
Mandatory Technical Controls:
- SPF: Use
-all(hard fail) - DKIM: 2048-bit encryption, rotated monthly
- DMARC: Enforce
p=reject+sp=rejectfor subdomains - Enable DMARC Reports: Use
ruaandruffor monitoring - Deploy Gateways: Scan all incoming/outgoing email traffic
- DNSSEC + Registry Lock: Prevent unauthorized DNS changes
Organizational Security:
- MFA: Mandatory for all email access
- Password Policy: Complex, non-repetitive
- Incident Response Plans: Ready-to-activate for spoofing/phishing attempts.
How to Save Yourself?
End-User Guidelines:
- Never reuse passwords
- Always verify suspicious requests through other channels
- Scan attachments before opening
- Attend phishing awareness training regularly
Long-Term Strategy:
- Annual Domain Audits
- Zero Trust Email Model
- Threat Intelligence Sharing with global CERTs
- Vendor Compliance: Enforce SPF/DKIM/DMARC across all third parties
Disaster Recovery Preparedness:
- Keep offline backups of communication records
- Conduct phishing simulations and response drills
- Maintain fallback communication protocols for emergencies
Reporting Protocol:
Suspicious activity must be reported to National CERT:
- Email: [email protected]
- Portal: https://pkcert.gov.pk/report-incident.asp
Reports should include: - Email headers
- Affected domains
- Latest DMARC reports
- Suspicious DNS records
Consequences of Inaction:
| Threat | Outcome |
|---|---|
| BEC Fraud | Multi-million-dollar financial theft |
| Credential Theft | System-wide breaches |
| Poor Configurations | Legitimate email delivery failures |
| Subdomain Exploits | Attacks on customers/suppliers |
| Weak Reputation | Public panic and loss of trust |
Urgent Call to Action:
Immediately:
- Deploy SPF/DKIM/DMARC with
p=reject
Within 48 Hours:
- Enable MFA
- Harden DNS settings
Ongoing:
- Conduct real-time monitoring
- Train employees continuously
Final Warning from National CERT:
“This is cybersecurity’s ‘check engine’ light – ignore it and your organization will crash.”
The advisory concludes that attacks are doubling monthly, and that time to act is measured in days, not weeks.
