SDPI’s Study Group on ICT 63rd Meeting: Experts Discussed Cybersecurity Challenges

Pakistan has faced several cyber-attacks from state and non-state actors throughout the years. It necessitates changing policies and regulations to combat the threat. A panel of experts highlighted different issues during 63rd sitting of SDPI’s Study Group on ICT.

Panel of Experts Talked About Cybersecurity and Other Issues

Brig Mohammad Yasin (retired), Adviser Emeritus, Sustainable Development Policy Institute, remarked this while kicking off debate at the SDPI’s Study Group on Information Technology and Telecommunications’ 63rd Meeting (ICT). Pakistan has regulations and legislation in place that must be updated to keep up with future cyber threats and attacks, according to Brig Yasin.

Dr. Muhammad Mukaram Khan, director-general of Pakistan Telecom Authority’s Cyber Vigilance, stated that it is necessary to ‘act immediately’ to secure legislation and policies for execution. He warned of concerns, including cyber mishaps in the industry, and emphasized the importance of detecting data breaches.

Prof Dr. Haider Abbas of the University of Science and Technology’s Military College Signals said Pakistan was living in a cyber-security era that required meeting human demands of the cyber-security skills gap. He mentioned the lack of women’s engagement in the workforce in Pakistan to tackle problems, saying that this was insufficient for crime prevention.

Dr. Abid Qaiyum Suleri, Executive Director of the SDPI, stated that the government must take full responsibility for implementing national cyber security policies. He said that software businesses with collaborative relationships with the Internet of Things (IoT) arena in Pakistan should operate Internet of Things devices, adding that data should be strategically stored on cloud services or Google Drives.

Aslam Hayat, Senior Policy Fellow, LIRNEASIA, Partner Hayat and Noorwala, former head of Telenor Pakistan Regulatory Wing, stated, “Pakistan’s cyber security strategy does align with the present needs,”

Ameena Sohail, the Managing Partner of Precision Consultants and former Member (Legal) of the Ministry of Information Technology, aimed a path forward by emphasizing the UN International Telecommunication Union’s (ITU) dimensions of states’ commitment to cyber security. It includes legal, technical, organizational, capacity building, and internal cooperation.

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