Islamabad — Pakistan has taken another step to reinforce its digital security landscape as the National Computer Emergency Response Team of Pakistan and international cybersecurity firm Kaspersky formalised cooperation aimed at countering increasingly complex cyber threats.
The memorandum of understanding signed by PKCERT and Kaspersky focuses on strengthening national cyber resilience at a time when public institutions, businesses, and individuals face growing risks from cyberattacks, data breaches, and online disruption. The collaboration signals Pakistan’s intent to align its cybersecurity ecosystem with global practices while addressing local threat dynamics.
Building resilience against evolving cyber risks
Officials said the partnership will support Pakistan’s efforts to improve preparedness against cyber incidents through structured training and awareness initiatives. These programs will target stakeholders across government departments, industry, academia, and civil society, with the aim of improving response capabilities and long-term institutional resilience.
A key component of the agreement is capacity building to help develop a skilled cybersecurity workforce. By focusing on education, research, and professional exchanges, the two sides aim to bridge skills gaps and ensure that local expertise keeps pace with rapidly evolving cyber technologies and attack methods.
The MoU also provides a framework for sharing cyber threat intelligence and technical information related to attacks affecting citizens, enterprises, and government networks, enabling faster identification and mitigation of risks.
Collaboration spans policy, response, and research
Beyond operational cooperation, the agreement covers legislative and regulatory aspects of cybersecurity, incident detection and response mechanisms, and prevention strategies. Joint research and development initiatives are also planned to support innovation and informed policymaking in the cybersecurity domain.
The MoU was signed by Dr. Haider Abbas, Director General of the National CERT, and Rashed Al Momani, General Manager for the Middle East and Pakistan at Kaspersky. The ceremony was attended by Eugene Kaspersky and Shaza Fatima Khawaja, Federal Minister for Information Technology.
Dr. Abbas said the expanding use of digital technologies has made cybersecurity a strategic national concern, noting that cooperation with experienced global partners was essential to counter threats such as ransomware, cyber espionage, and attacks on critical infrastructure. Rashed Al Momani described the agreement as part of a broader approach in which public institutions and private companies work together to secure sustainable digital growth.
Also read: From Global Trends to Local Threats: Kaspersky shares insights on Pakistan’s Cyberthreat Landscape
