Pakistan Steps Up Cybersecurity Preparedness Through National CERT Training

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s National Cyber Emergency Response Team (National CERT) has stepped up efforts to strengthen cybersecurity and data protection capabilities through specialised training for government employees, academics and industry professionals.

As part of a five-day training programme on “Cyber Security and Data Protection in Digital Governance” organised by the Akhtar Hameed Khan National Centre for Rural Development (AHKNCRD), National CERT delivered three dedicated sessions focusing on cybersecurity policies, human factors and international cooperation.

The sessions come as Pakistan’s digital governance ecosystem continues to expand, increasing the importance of protecting government data and strengthening institutional cybersecurity. Dr Mehreen Afzal, Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC), briefed participants on the government’s cybersecurity and data protection policies and initiatives, providing an overview of the country’s evolving digital security framework.

Two additional sessions were delivered by Syed Imran Haider, Assistant Director Trainings at National CERT, covering cybersecurity awareness and human factors, as well as international cooperation and collaboration. The sessions highlighted how human behaviour can influence cyber risks and why cross-border coordination is becoming increasingly important as cyber threats grow more complex.

The initiative could contribute to Pakistan’s broader digital transformation by improving cybersecurity awareness and institutional preparedness across the public sector. Continued capacity-building, stronger data protection practices and international collaboration could play an important role in developing a more secure and resilient digital governance environment as Pakistan expands its reliance on digital services.