The Pakistan Computer Emergency Response Team (PKCERT), the federal entity mandated to defend national digital assets and critical infrastructure, has formally signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with global cybersecurity vendor Kaspersky to enhance Pakistan’s cybersecurity resilience through strategic cooperation.
The agreement was executed in Islamabad by Dr. Haider Abbas, Director General of PKCERT, and Rashed Al Momani, General Manager for the Middle East and Pakistan at Kaspersky, in the presence of Eugene Kaspersky, CEO of Kaspersky, and Shaza Fatima Khawaja, Federal IT Minister of Pakistan.
Scope of the Partnership
Under the MoU, PKCERT and Kaspersky will collaborate on multiple fronts to strengthen the country’s cybersecurity posture:
Threat Intelligence and Incident Response:
- Exchange actionable cyber threat intelligence, technical information, and data feeds relevant to malware campaigns, ransomware, phishing, APT activity, and attacks on critical infrastructure.
- Build coordinated detection and response capabilities to reduce dwell time and improve incident containment.
Training, Awareness, and Capacity Building:
- Deploy joint cybersecurity training programs for government agencies, private sector stakeholders, academic institutions, and civil society.
- Support development of a skilled cybersecurity workforce aligned with global operational standards and best practices.
Prevention, Research and Legislative Support:
- Collaborate on preventive strategies to mitigate emerging threat vectors and systemic vulnerabilities.
- Facilitate research, education, and knowledge transfer in defensive technologies and risk management.
- Provide insights to support regulatory and legislative frameworks tied to national cybersecurity policy.
Pakistan has experienced a significant uptick in cyberattacks across public and private networks, encompassing malware, phishing, botnet activity, and targeted intrusions — a trend documented by independent threat reports.
PKCERT, established under the Ministry of Information Technology to coordinate national incident response and threat intelligence sharing, aims to centralize cyber defense efforts for improved detection and resilience.
Stakeholder Statements
Dr. Haider Abbas emphasized that rapid digitization has expanded the attack surface for cyber adversaries, noting the need for proactive defense mechanisms and strategic partnerships with industry specialists.
Rashed Al Momani highlighted that secure digital transformation depends on robust collaboration between public authorities and private cybersecurity providers, stressing Kaspersky’s experience with international CERTs and security organizations.
Operational Implications
For Pakistan’s cybersecurity ecosystem, the MoU represents a formal mechanism to:
- Improve early warning systems against emerging threats.
- Enhance security operations center (SOC) capabilities via shared intelligence and joint exercises.
- Elevate national cyber hygiene through structured professional training and community outreach.
- Strengthen public–private cooperation on defensive technologies and policy implementation.
