Urgent Warning: Pakistan’s Data Breaches Soar – National CERT’s Guide to Protection

Pakistani Citizens’ Data at “Severe Risk” Amid Surge in Breaches: National CERT

Pakistan’s National Cyber Emergency Response Team (National CERT) has issued a critical cybersecurity advisory to all individuals, public sector bodies, and private organizations that handle the Personally Identifiable Information (PII) of Pakistani citizens.

This urgent advisory comes in response to an alarming surge in data breaches, identity theft, and privacy violations across key sectors. It applies to every entity—regardless of its nature, size, or infrastructure (including on-premises, cloud, and hybrid environments)—that collects, stores, processes, or transmits the PII of Pakistani citizens. Immediate and strategic data protection measures are now mandatory.

Safeguarding citizen data is recognized as a matter of national security and public trust under the National Cyber Security Policy 2021. The National CERT highlights that common vulnerabilities such as weak internal controls, outdated systems, unencrypted data flows, the installation of malicious applications, and poor cyber hygiene are making organizations highly susceptible to financial fraud, operational disruption, reputational damage, and potential regulatory action under laws like PECA 2016. Breaches involving sensitive information like CNIC numbers, health records, or financial details not only erode public trust but also increase the risk of exploitation by both criminal and hostile entities.

What Organizations Must Do

Organizations are urged to take immediate and structured action. This includes:
* Classifying data by sensitivity.
* Applying strict access controls.
* Encrypting PII, both in storage and during transmission.
* Ensuring all software and systems are kept up to date.
* Adopting a secure development lifecycle for new systems.
* Retaining PII only for as long as legally required.
* Implementing clear breach response protocols.
* Auditing third-party vendors who handle personal data.

For the long term, entities are expected to align with regulatory standards, adopt zero-trust security principles, ensure disaster recovery readiness, and build a security-aware workforce through regular training and testing.

What Individuals Must Do

The National CERT also provides crucial advice for individuals to protect their personal data:
* Share your CNICs and other personal documents only when absolutely necessary.
* When providing copies, clearly label them (e.g., “For SIM registration only”) to specify their intended use.
* Use strong, unique passwords for all critical online accounts.
* Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) wherever possible.
* Be cautious about oversharing personal details online or with unverified service providers.
* Avoid downloading malicious applications from unofficial sources that could leak sensitive data.

The National CERT emphasizes that proactive data protection is not just a compliance requirement but a strategic necessity for the nation. It calls on both organizations and individuals to act decisively to secure personal data, preserve Pakistan’s digital infrastructure, and restore confidence in the country’s cyber ecosystem.