The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Tuesday announced a five-year comprehensive strategy aimed at strengthening the digital resilience of existing telecom infrastructure against cyber attacks, as a result of increasing cyber security threats.
In the roadmap entitled “Cyber Security Strategy for Telecom Sector 2023-2028”, six pillars of cyber security are laid out, each of which addresses a particular aspect of cyber security, such as legal framework, cyber resilience, proactive monitoring and incident response, capacity building, cooperation and collaboration, and public awareness.
There is an integrated approach to achieving a secure digital infrastructure in the country that is reflected in the five-year plan.
By improving cyber security awareness and education as well as investing in cyber security research and development, the strategy aims to mitigate the potential impact of cyberattacks on Pakistan’s national security, economy, and public services, by collaborating with a variety of partners, both public and private, in order to mitigate the potential impact of cyberattacks that pose a threat to Pakistan’s national security, economy, and public services.
In order to increase the resilience of existing telecom infrastructure against cyberattacks, the National Telecom Cyber Security Strategy (NTCSS) strives to strengthen the existing telecom network’s resilience.
This roadmap emphasizes a multi-stakeholder approach that aims to promote active collaboration between the public and private sectors, regulatory bodies, telecom operators, security firms, academia, and civil society in order to build a cohesive and comprehensive front against cyber threats by fostering an inclusive strategy.
Aside from strengthening cybersecurity, the PTA also intends to address capacity-building issues by creating a technically skilled workforce and managing the growing “brain drain” that the country is experiencing as a result of the increase in demand for cybersecurity professionals around the globe.
It is the goal of the regulatory body to collaborate with key stakeholders such as industry experts, academia, and government organizations in order to build domestic talent pipelines through the provision of professional training.
Moreover, the PTA has also instructed all its licensees to establish a dedicated CISO office with the necessary manpower and to appoint a C-level security officer in order to ensure that cyber security is given due importance in their organization and to improve the recruitment and retention of talented cyber security professionals.
In order to bring cyber awareness to the masses, the policy calls for the use of digital mediums and services provided by telecom operators as an effective tool for educating the public about cyber incidents, their targets, processes, and mitigations to mobile phone users using the policy.
In addition to working with telecom operators and educational institutions, the body plans to introduce relevant material into the national curriculum in an effort to bring awareness about the problem of cybersecurity to the majority of the population.
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