Pakistan’s government is taking decisive action against escalating cyber threats with the issuance of a new cyber security advisory titled “Pakistan’s Digital Blackout — Fake Propaganda and Response Initiative at Financial Sector”. This advisory addresses critical vulnerabilities in the nation’s information infrastructure, highlighting the urgent need for robust cyber security measures.
The advisory underscores the importance of protecting national security and economic stability through a resilient cyberspace and critical information infrastructure (CII). Recent cyber-attacks by Indian hacker groups, such as “Vanguard” and “UCC Error 404 Team”, targeting Pakistan’s.gov.pk domain and key sectors like government, defense, aviation, and banking, have raised alarms. These attacks, coupled with false propaganda, have disrupted services and sowed confusion across various sectors.
Analysis of the dark web reveals ongoing threats from multiple hacker groups, particularly targeting Pakistan’s financial and banking sectors. In response, the government calls upon federal ministries, divisions, and the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) to implement robust cyber security measures in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance and the banking sector.
Previous advisories, including “Cyber Security Advisory – Surge in Financial/Bar-phishing Scams & Prevention” and “Cyber Security Advisory – Prevention Against Financial Scam Activities – Impersonation as Govt Officials”, have been issued to enhance awareness and preparedness among stakeholders.
The government directs all concerned entities to ensure adequate caution and cyber security measures, with specific instructions for the SBP to promptly disseminate information to the banking sector and provide compliance certificates to the National Telecommunication and Information Security Board (NTISB) of the Cabinet Division.
