All four provinces of Pakistan Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Sindh, and Balochistan have designated specific departments to serve as their provincial Computer Emergency Response Teams (CERTs).
Sources told ProPakistani that Punjab has chosen the Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) as its CERT, while Sindh has designated its Science Department. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has named the KP IT Board as its CERT, complementing the already active KP Computer Emergency Response Center (CERC). Balochistan has also selected its Science Department to handle its CERT responsibilities.
Officials from the Ministry of IT and Telecom have confirmed that the provinces have communicated their choices and that the Ministry has taken steps to establish a CERT council. The Ministry of IT and Telecom has already received nominations from academia, industry and civil society for the CERT council.
The CERT council will be the apex body overseeing cybersecurity measures and will begin the process of forming important CERTs. It will send recommendations for the establishment of both Sectoral and Provincial CERTs. Based on these recommendations, the federal government will formally notify the designated provincial CERTs.
According to the CERT Rules, 2023, the structure will include National, Provincial, Government, and Sectoral CERTs. The federal government already notified the National CERT in March this year. With the formation of the CERT council, coordinated efforts to address cybersecurity issues nationwide will commence in earnest.
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