Pakistan Foils 400+ Cyberattacks, Demands PM-Led Security Authority Now

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has intercepted and neutralised more than 400 cyberattacks so far this year, Director General of the National Cyber Emergency Response Team (National CERT) Dr Haider Abbas said, he further added that the scale of the threat now requires a dedicated cybersecurity authority reporting directly to the prime minister.

Pakistan Cyber Attacks Cross 400 in 2026

Speaking on the growing frequency of attacks targeting Pakistan's digital infrastructure, Abbas said his teams had acted in real time to block every recorded intrusion attempt this year. He said the country's exposure to hostile cyber activity, particularly attacks traced to state actors, had reached a point where routine administrative oversight no longer offered sufficient protection.

Abbas proposed the formation of a National Cyber Security Authority placed under the direct command of the prime minister. He said the current arrangement, under which cybersecurity responsibilities are spread across multiple ministries and departments, creates delays and gaps that a centralised authority would eliminate. Attacks originating from foreign states, he said, pose a materially different threat than those carried out by independent hackers or criminal groups, and require a command structure capable of responding with equivalent speed and coordination.

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Cybersecurity, according to Abbas, no longer functions as a peripheral technical matter. He told the forum that it now operates as a core component of national security, alongside conventional defence and intelligence functions, and said institutions that continue to treat it otherwise leave the door open for exploitation.

He also called for a formal enforcement framework to hold government departments accountable when they fail to implement basic cybersecurity measures. At present, Abbas said, agencies that neglect these protocols face minimal consequences even after a breach occurs. He said Pakistan needs an enforcement and penalty structure with real weight behind it, rather than the current system of informal reprimand.

On the subject of artificial intelligence, Abbas urged parliament to expedite legislation governing its safe use. He warned that the absence of a regulatory framework leaves the country vulnerable on two fronts: falling behind in adopting AI's benefits, while remaining exposed to its risks, including its potential use in amplifying state-sponsored cyberattacks.

Abbas concluded that the volume and sophistication of threats facing Pakistan are increasing at a pace the country's existing cyber governance structure was not designed to handle. He said continued reliance on the present framework, without structural reform, would leave critical systems increasingly exposed.

The proposal for a PM-led National Cyber Security Authority has been formally raised with federal authorities. Officials have not yet responded publicly on whether the recommendation will be taken up.