Navigating Cyber Threats: Security Implications for Pakistan

#1 · 16th August 2024, 5:48 am

Quote from Malaika Khan on 16th August 2024, 5:48 am
In an era where digital landscapes are fraught with jeopardy, Pakistan requires resilient and innovative defense strategies to counter the prevailing cyber threats that endangers its national security. Since the dawn of the computing virus threats, Pakistan stands at the forefront of a high risks battle. In today's world, 66% of the population uses the Internet, which is an estimated 5.3 billion people. So, the opportunity for cybercriminals to commit cybercrimes has also increased significantly. Cybercrimes are the criminal activities carried out through digital devices, internet or other digital communication networks are collectively described as cybercrimes. Hence due to increase in cyber threats and attack complexity, Pakistan ability to safeguard its digital assets and manage cyber resilience is still a grave issue. As countries constantly deal with cybercrimes, it therefore requires persistent and effective strategies to counter it.
Pakistan’s cyber defenses against the foreign surveillance such as malware like Gamarue and Peals, and DDoS attacks, are insufficient. Pakistan’s capacity to deal with the constantly changing threats posed by cybercrimes such as hacking, and data thefts is restricted due to the inadequate cyber infrastructure, insufficient technical knowledge, and lacking legislative frameworks. Pakistan's cybersecurity measures are usually disorganized and understaffed, resulting in significant risks, including frequent data breaches from critical national databases due to insufficient private sector assistance and dependence on internal investment and the absence of a unified national plan and coordination amongst different stakeholder exacerbates the issue further. Due to a lack of expertise in information technology, the huge population of Internet users in the country makes it more challenging for the government and legislative bodies to control the country's cyber environment.
Pakistan’s ineffective cyber strategy had led India to pose a significant cyber threat to the country’s security. The longstanding geopolitical tensions between the two nations have extended into the digital realm, where India has developed sophisticated cyber capabilities. The strategic use of cyber tools enables India to undermine Pakistan's security, disrupt its economic stability, and influence public opinion, thereby exacerbating the existing tensions. Consequently, the cyber threat posed by India to Pakistan is multifaceted and deeply rooted in their adversarial history, making it a significant concern for Pakistan's national security. One such example was the disinformation campaign managed by the India against Pakistan that was uncovered by the EU DisInfo Lab in 2020. DisInfo Lab, a European based organization, revealed a vast network of fake websites and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) created by Indian companies with the goal of damaging Pakistan globally and shaping public opinion. According to EU DisInfo Lab report “India is busy in maligning the image of Pakistan at international level by running a fifteen-year-old network of more than 550 fake online registered domains and 750 bogus media outlets, in almost 119 countries (EU DisInfo Lab, 2020)”. By highlighting the extensive use of cyber capabilities for strategic purposes and political goals, this incident worsens the tensions between the two countries. The cyber conflict is further worsened with the accusation that Indian hackers were behind the cyberattacks against financial institutions, government websites, and critical infrastructure in Pakistan. Other than India, Pakistan faces cyber-attacks in many ways.
Pakistan faces the challenge of terrorism; the terrorist groups can advantage of cyberspace for propaganda and coordination. In key industries such as government, finance, and healthcare cyber-attacks are becoming frequent due to the rapid growth of digital advancements and internet availability. Besides disrupting Pakistan's digital infrastructure, these cyber operations also try to manipulate and shape public opinion and endangers national security.
To limit the power of cybercriminals as well as to control the hostile online actions by foreign governments like India and the rising number of cyber-related crimes committed in Pakistan that serve as a warning to the country's national security the policy makers should draft and enact legislation that will reduce the capabilities of cybercriminals. Pakistan must address cybersecurity on multiple fronts, countering terrorist narratives and enhancing defensive capabilities against offensive cyber operations by over 120 countries. Cooperative efforts at federal, educational, policy, military, strategic and provincial levels are important. By 2030, with an approximate 20 billion connected devices, Pakistan must adopt extensive legislation measures, enhance cyber management, create a resilient institutional framework, and establish Cyber defense Response Teams (CDRT) at federal and provincial levels. With research institutes and a talented workforce established to meet national demands, a national cybersecurity policy should cover laws against warfare, cybercrimes, terrorism, and data privacy. Enhancing law enforcement capacity through public awareness campaigns or training and examining imported computer hardware are essential.
Important recommendations to upgrade cybersecurity of the country include strengthening global cooperation with major powers which can help and facilitate Pakistan to enhance its defensive capabilities , safeguarding key databases of the county which can help to prevent illegal access and data breaches, to make sure banks adhere to international standards to protect important financial data and sustain trust in the banking system and adherence to best practices that can alleviate cyber risks in the financial sector, by developing comprehensive cyber defense strategy by tackling weaknesses in the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) which is crucial for creating a comprehensive legal framework that efficiently deters cybercrimes and ensures swift justice, by establishing a National Cyber Coordination Centre ensuring a unified and efficient response to cyber incident, establishing provincial and national CDRT headquarters as these teams would be responsible for identifying, mitigating, and recovering from cyber-attacks thereby minimizing their impact, operationalize the National Centre for Cyber Security (NCCS) this center can foster collaboration between academia, industry, and government to advance cybersecurity innovation and special cybercrime courts should be established as this can expedite the legal process and serve as a deterrent to potential cyber lawbreakers.
As advancements in technology have created opportunities but at the same time it has introduced new security threats for states by other states and non-state actors by targeting governmental institutions, military sites and financial systems. Pakistan, as a developing country, is facing severe cyber threats and the current framework is insufficient, policymakers need to develop a comprehensive cybersecurity policy to address these challenges. Increased collaboration between law enforcement agencies will drive to stricter policy enforcement and an upgraded cybersecurity environment in Pakistan.

In an era where digital landscapes are fraught with jeopardy, Pakistan requires resilient and innovative defense strategies to counter the prevailing cyber threats that endangers its national security. Since the dawn of the computing virus threats, Pakistan stands at the forefront of a high risks battle. In today's world, 66% of the population uses the Internet, which is an estimated 5.3 billion people. So, the opportunity for cybercriminals to commit cybercrimes has also increased significantly. Cybercrimes are the criminal activities carried out through digital devices, internet or other digital communication networks are collectively described as cybercrimes. Hence due to increase in cyber threats and attack complexity, Pakistan ability to safeguard its digital assets and manage cyber resilience is still a grave issue. As countries constantly deal with cybercrimes, it therefore requires persistent and effective strategies to counter it.

Pakistan’s cyber defenses against the foreign surveillance such as malware like Gamarue and Peals, and DDoS attacks, are insufficient. Pakistan’s capacity to deal with the constantly changing threats posed by cybercrimes such as hacking, and data thefts is restricted due to the inadequate cyber infrastructure, insufficient technical knowledge, and lacking legislative frameworks. Pakistan's cybersecurity measures are usually disorganized and understaffed, resulting in significant risks, including frequent data breaches from critical national databases due to insufficient private sector assistance and dependence on internal investment and the absence of a unified national plan and coordination amongst different stakeholder exacerbates the issue further. Due to a lack of expertise in information technology, the huge population of Internet users in the country makes it more challenging for the government and legislative bodies to control the country's cyber environment.

Pakistan’s ineffective cyber strategy had led India to pose a significant cyber threat to the country’s security. The longstanding geopolitical tensions between the two nations have extended into the digital realm, where India has developed sophisticated cyber capabilities. The strategic use of cyber tools enables India to undermine Pakistan's security, disrupt its economic stability, and influence public opinion, thereby exacerbating the existing tensions. Consequently, the cyber threat posed by India to Pakistan is multifaceted and deeply rooted in their adversarial history, making it a significant concern for Pakistan's national security. One such example was the disinformation campaign managed by the India against Pakistan that was uncovered by the EU DisInfo Lab in 2020. DisInfo Lab, a European based organization, revealed a vast network of fake websites and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) created by Indian companies with the goal of damaging Pakistan globally and shaping public opinion. According to EU DisInfo Lab report “India is busy in maligning the image of Pakistan at international level by running a fifteen-year-old network of more than 550 fake online registered domains and 750 bogus media outlets, in almost 119 countries (EU DisInfo Lab, 2020)”. By highlighting the extensive use of cyber capabilities for strategic purposes and political goals, this incident worsens the tensions between the two countries. The cyber conflict is further worsened with the accusation that Indian hackers were behind the cyberattacks against financial institutions, government websites, and critical infrastructure in Pakistan. Other than India, Pakistan faces cyber-attacks in many ways.

Pakistan faces the challenge of terrorism; the terrorist groups can advantage of cyberspace for propaganda and coordination. In key industries such as government, finance, and healthcare cyber-attacks are becoming frequent due to the rapid growth of digital advancements and internet availability. Besides disrupting Pakistan's digital infrastructure, these cyber operations also try to manipulate and shape public opinion and endangers national security.

To limit the power of cybercriminals as well as to control the hostile online actions by foreign governments like India and the rising number of cyber-related crimes committed in Pakistan that serve as a warning to the country's national security the policy makers should draft and enact legislation that will reduce the capabilities of cybercriminals. Pakistan must address cybersecurity on multiple fronts, countering terrorist narratives and enhancing defensive capabilities against offensive cyber operations by over 120 countries. Cooperative efforts at federal, educational, policy, military, strategic and provincial levels are important. By 2030, with an approximate 20 billion connected devices, Pakistan must adopt extensive legislation measures, enhance cyber management, create a resilient institutional framework, and establish Cyber defense Response Teams (CDRT) at federal and provincial levels. With research institutes and a talented workforce established to meet national demands, a national cybersecurity policy should cover laws against warfare, cybercrimes, terrorism, and data privacy. Enhancing law enforcement capacity through public awareness campaigns or training and examining imported computer hardware are essential.

Important recommendations to upgrade cybersecurity of the country include strengthening global cooperation with major powers which can help and facilitate Pakistan to enhance its defensive capabilities , safeguarding key databases of the county which can help to prevent illegal access and data breaches, to make sure banks adhere to international standards to protect important financial data and sustain trust in the banking system and adherence to best practices that can alleviate cyber risks in the financial sector, by developing comprehensive cyber defense strategy by tackling weaknesses in the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) which is crucial for creating a comprehensive legal framework that efficiently deters cybercrimes and ensures swift justice, by establishing a National Cyber Coordination Centre ensuring a unified and efficient response to cyber incident, establishing provincial and national CDRT headquarters as these teams would be responsible for identifying, mitigating, and recovering from cyber-attacks thereby minimizing their impact, operationalize the National Centre for Cyber Security (NCCS) this center can foster collaboration between academia, industry, and government to advance cybersecurity innovation and special cybercrime courts should be established as this can expedite the legal process and serve as a deterrent to potential cyber lawbreakers.

As advancements in technology have created opportunities but at the same time it has introduced new security threats for states by other states and non-state actors by targeting governmental institutions, military sites and financial systems. Pakistan, as a developing country, is facing severe cyber threats and the current framework is insufficient, policymakers need to develop a comprehensive cybersecurity policy to address these challenges. Increased collaboration between law enforcement agencies will drive to stricter policy enforcement and an upgraded cybersecurity environment in Pakistan.