National CERT - Pakistan

📢 𝗔𝗡𝗡𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗖𝗘𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧 | 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗢𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝘁 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗘𝗥𝗧 𝗣𝗮𝗸𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻

The National Cyber Emergency Response Team (National CERT) of Pakistan is pleased to announce its Internship Program 2026, offering aspiring professionals an opportunity to gain hands-on experience in cybersecurity, technology, governance, research, and digital communications.

𝗔𝘃𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗸𝘀:

🔹 Governance, Compliance & Audit
🔹 Incident Management & Threat Intelligence
🔹 Cybersecurity Training Development
🔹 Software Security Testing
🔹 Software & AI Development
🔹 Vulnerability Assessment & Research
🔹 Hardware Security Assessment
🔹 Digital Forensics
🔹 Project Management
🔹 Social Media Management
🔹 Content Writing
🔹 VFX & Video Editing

📅 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗗𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲: 16 June 2026

🌐 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝗡𝗼𝘄: www.pkcert.gov.pk/internships

Join us in our mission to safeguard Pakistan’s cyberspace and become part of the next generation of cybersecurity and technology professionals.

🌙 Eid ul Adha Mubarak from National CERT Pakistan 🇵🇰

On this blessed occasion of Eid ul Adha, we extend our heartfelt wishes to all citizens, partners, and the cybersecurity community across Pakistan and beyond. May this Eid inspire the values of sacrifice, compassion, unity, and resilience in both our personal and professional lives.

Wishing everyone peace, happiness, and countless blessings this Eid.

𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗘𝗥𝗧 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗱 𝗦𝗢𝗖 𝗘𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗹 & 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗘𝗥𝗧𝘀

𝗜𝘀𝗹𝗮𝗺𝗮𝗯𝗮𝗱, 𝗣𝗮𝗸𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻 – The National Cyber Emergency Response Team (National CERT) of Pakistan successfully conducted a specialized cybersecurity capacity building training at its Headquarters on “SOC Establishment for National Level Cyber Threat Monitoring” for the officials of Sectoral and Provincial CERTs. Designed in alignment with the National CERT’s Cybersecurity Training Guidelines, the session aimed to strengthen Pakistan’s national cyber defense posture by enabling provincial and sectoral CERTs to establish functional Security Operations Centers (SOCs) for real-time cyber threat monitoring, detection, analysis, and incident response.

The session was delivered by Mr. Adli Bin Wahid, Senior Internet Security Specialist, APNIC, Australia, who shared valuable international expertise and practical insights on modern SOC frameworks and operations. The comprehensive training covered strategic and planning aspects, technical architecture and design, core SOC operations, integration and collaboration mechanisms, along with practical hands-on exercises. Participants included cybersecurity professionals and officials from Sectoral CERTs, Provincial CERTs’ IT/security teams, and key stakeholders from critical infrastructure organizations.

The interactive sessions witnessed keen interest and active participation from the audience, reflecting the growing commitment towards enhancing national cyber resilience and collaborative cybersecurity preparedness across Pakistan.

National CERT remains committed to strengthening institutional cybersecurity capacities, fostering inter-organizational collaboration, and advancing proactive cyber threat preparedness to safeguard Pakistan’s digital ecosystem and critical infrastructure.

𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗘𝗥𝗧 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗱𝘂𝗰t𝘀 𝟱-𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝗜𝗦𝗢/𝗜𝗘𝗖 𝟮𝟳𝟬𝟯𝟱 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗚𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝘀

𝗜𝘀𝗹𝗮𝗺𝗮𝗯𝗮𝗱, 𝗣𝗮𝗸𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻 – The National Cyber Emergency Response Team (National CERT) of Pakistan successfully conducted a comprehensive 5-day ISO/IEC 27035 training program for government officials. The training was arranged by the Capacity Building Directorate, reflecting the organization’s strong commitment to enhancing national cybersecurity preparedness, incident management capabilities, and information security resilience across the public sector.

A total of 54 government employees representing various ministries, divisions, and attached departments participated in the program. Designed in alignment with National CERT’s Cybersecurity Training Guidelines, the training focused on incident management principles, cybersecurity incident identification and reporting, incident assessment and response procedures, coordination mechanisms, and the implementation of internationally recognized best practices for effective incident handling and recovery. The objective was to equip participants with practical knowledge and globally accepted methodologies to strengthen organizational readiness and response against evolving cyber threats.

The sessions were highly engaging and interactive, featuring expert-led lectures, practical demonstrations, real-world case studies, and collaborative discussions. Participants demonstrated keen interest throughout the training and actively engaged with the facilitators, highlighting their dedication to enhancing institutional resilience and adopting a proactive approach toward cybersecurity incident management and governance.

Mr. Adli Wahid, Senior Internet Security Specialist at APNIC, Australia, also held an interactive session with the participants, focusing on knowledge sharing, emerging cybersecurity challenges, and international best practices in incident response and cyber resilience. The session provided valuable insights and encouraged productive discussions among the attendees.

At the closing ceremony Director General National CERT, Dr. Haider Abbas, TI, distributed certificates of participation among the attendees and addressed the participants. He appreciated the participants’ rigor, enthusiasm, and commitment to professional development, and reiterated that National CERT, through its Capacity Building initiatives, remains steadfastly committed to developing skilled human capital and fostering a strong cybersecurity culture within government institutions to support Pakistan’s secure digital transformation.

𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗘𝗥𝗧 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗻 “𝗔𝗜 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸” 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝘆𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗔𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗺𝘆 (𝗜𝗦𝗔)

𝗜𝘀𝗹𝗮𝗺𝗮𝗯𝗮𝗱, 𝗣𝗮𝗸𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻 – National Cyber Emergency Response Team (National CERT) of Pakistan conducted an insightful training session at the Information Services Academy (ISA) focusing on “The Use of AI for Smart Office Work.” The session was delivered by Mr. Ikram Ul Haque Syed, National CERT’s Distinguished Trainer as part of its Distinguished Trainer Program (DTP) and Ms. Zaheema Iqbal Assistant Director Advisories and Communications. The participants were guided through an engaging intellectual journey from classical concepts such as dynamic programming to the evolution of modern artificial intelligence. The training was attended by civil servants from the Information Group.

The session explored key contemporary tensions surrounding AI, including the balance between AI as a productivity tool versus a substitute for human capability, its growing impact on daily life, and the challenge it poses to human originality. The trainer also highlighted the “ghost shadow” of AI as a personality impressionist, discussing potential risks along with countermeasures. The session concluded with a forward-looking perspective on fostering original thinkers in the workplace through the 3Es framework: Exposure, Exploration, and Evaluation of AI-driven tools.

Ms. Zaheema Iqbal, Assistant Director Advisories & Communications, addressed the cybersecurity threat landscape, highlighting emerging challenges, ongoing initiatives by National CERT, and Pakistan’s preparedness to address evolving digital risks. Her session provided valuable insights into national cyber resilience efforts and awareness of contemporary security threats.

Participants actively engaged in the discussions, demonstrated strong interest, and contributed thoughtful perspectives throughout the sessions.

𝗗𝗚 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗘𝗥𝗧 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝘀 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗲𝗳 𝗚𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝘁 “𝗔𝗨𝗥𝗘𝗫: 𝗔𝗜 & 𝗗𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝘄𝗶𝗻 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲” 𝗦𝘆𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘂𝗺 𝗮𝘁 𝗕𝗮𝗵𝗿𝗶𝗮 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆

𝗜𝘀𝗹𝗮𝗺𝗮𝗯𝗮𝗱, 𝗣𝗮𝗸𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻 – Director General National CERT, Dr. Haider Abbas, TI, was invited as the Chief Guest at the “AUREX: AI & Digital Twin 2026” Symposium organized by the School of Engineering & Applied Sciences (BSEAS), Bahria University. The symposium brought together academia, industry leaders, policymakers, and emerging talent to deliberate on the transformative potential of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Twin technologies.

During his address, Dr. Haider Abbas, TI highlighted the evolving cybersecurity landscape in the era of rapid digital transformation. He emphasized the critical importance of integrating secure-by-design principles within AI-driven systems and digital infrastructures to ensure resilience against emerging cyber threats.

He also appreciated the collaborative efforts of BSEAS for providing a platform that bridges academia and industry, enabling meaningful dialogue on cutting-edge technologies and their real-world applications. Following his speech, he visited the project exhibition and interacted with students showcasing innovative solutions in AI and digital systems and encouraged the students and participants to continue pursuing excellence, innovation, and research-driven contributions in emerging technologies.

The National CERT reaffirms its commitment to fostering awareness, capacity building, and collaboration across sectors to strengthen Pakistan’s national cybersecurity ecosystem in the age of AI and digital transformation.

📢𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗘𝗥𝗧 𝗣𝗮𝗸𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻 𝗟𝗮𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗹𝘆 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗱 𝗖𝗧𝗙 𝗦𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗿𝗲

National CERT is pleased to announce the launch of CTF Square, an indigenous Capture the Flag (CTF) platform designed to strengthen cybersecurity learning, assessment, and practical skill development across Pakistan’s cyber ecosystem.

CTF Square is being actively populated with challenges spanning multiple domains of cybersecurity, offering students, professionals, and enthusiasts a structured, hands-on environment to practice and enhance their skills. In line with National CERT’s commitment to capacity building, the platform also welcomes contributions of high-quality challenges from academia, industry, and the broader research community, with due recognition provided to contributors.

𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀:
* Designed with a focus on innovation and accessibility in cybersecurity training environments
* Moves away from traditional resource-heavy VM-based CTF labs
* Uses lightweight, script-driven deployments instead of bulky virtual machines
* Enables ex*****on directly on users’ local environments without heavy infrastructure
* Bundles dependencies, configurations, and ex*****on logic into automated scripts
* Significantly reduces system overhead and resource consumption
* Improves usability and setup speed for learners and organizers
* Supports a more efficient and scalable CTF infrastructure model

CTF Square represents a major step toward a production-ready, efficient, and flexible cybersecurity training ecosystem aligned with modern needs.

Cybersecurity enthusiasts are encouraged to explore the platform, participate in challenges, and provide feedback to support continuous improvement and evolution of the initiative.

🔗 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗖𝗧𝗙 𝗦𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗿𝗲: https://ctf.pkcert.gov.pk/

𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗘𝗥𝗧 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝟯𝗿𝗱 𝗦𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗘𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗖𝘆𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺 𝗼𝗻 𝗖𝘆𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝗥𝗶𝘀𝗸 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 & 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁

𝗜𝘀𝗹𝗮𝗺𝗮𝗯𝗮𝗱, 𝗣𝗮𝗸𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻 – The National Cyber Emergency Response Team (National CERT) of Pakistan successfully conducted the 3rd session of its Executive Cybersecurity Leadership Program at its Headquarters, further advancing national efforts to strengthen Pakistan’s cybersecurity posture through strategic leadership, institutional alignment, and collaborative engagement. Building on the momentum of the previous sessions, the program continues to bring together senior leadership from ministries, sector regulators, academia, and public and private-sector organizations.

The session was delivered by Mr. Adli Bin Abd Wahid, Senior Internet Security Specialist at APNIC, Australia, who shared valuable regional and international perspectives on strengthening cyber resilience, fostering trusted collaboration, and developing practical cybersecurity capabilities across the Asia Pacific region. Through insightful discussions and interactive engagement, participants explored contemporary approaches to cyber risk governance and organizational preparedness.

Key focus areas of the session included cyber risk assessment and prioritization methodologies, integrating cyber risk into enterprise risk management frameworks, budgeting and justifying cybersecurity investments, and developing performance metrics and reporting dashboards for informed decision-making. The session emphasized the importance of aligning cybersecurity strategies with organizational objectives and national resilience priorities.

National CERT remains committed to empowering executive leadership with the strategic knowledge and practical tools required to address evolving cyber threats and enhance Pakistan’s national cybersecurity ecosystem.

𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗘𝗥𝗧 & 𝗜𝗖𝗠𝗣𝗗 𝗖𝗼-𝗢𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗱 𝗧𝘄𝗼-𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝗖𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱-𝗦𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗕𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝘆𝗯𝗲𝗿-𝗘𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

𝗜𝘀𝗹𝗮𝗺𝗮𝗯𝗮𝗱, 𝗣𝗮𝗸𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻 – The National Cyber Emergency Response Team (National CERT) of Pakistan co-organized a two-day specialized training on Child Sensitive Border Management and Cyber Enabled Child Protection under the “Children on the Move – Improving Child Protection at Pakistan’s Land Border Crossing Points (ICP-PAK) Project” in collaboration with the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) at its Headquarters.

Delivered by Ms. Valerie Khan, Child Protection Expert at ICMPD, the training brought together senior officials from the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) deployed at various airports across Pakistan and focused on strengthening the understanding of child rights, child development phases, and vulnerabilities faced by children on the move, including risks of trafficking, smuggling, exploitation, and abuse. Participants were also sensitized to national and international legal frameworks, child-sensitive border management practices, trauma-informed interviewing techniques, and alternatives to detention through practical scenario-based learning sessions. The training emphasized the importance of strengthening child protection systems and enhancing coordinated response mechanisms at border crossing points.

A specialized technical session titled "The Digital Border – Cybersecurity & Child Protection" was delivered by Mr. Khurram Javed, Director Capacity Building, National CERT. The session examined emerging technology-facilitated threats affecting children on the move, including digital recruitment by trafficking networks, online grooming and coercion push factors, gaming platform exploitation, stalkerware-enabled surveillance, and the evolving “digital escort” phenomenon. It also emphasized cyber-profiling indicators relevant to frontline officials, as well as the ethical use of biometric systems, secure digital case management, data protection protocols, and the identification of cyber-profiling red flags during border interviews. The session reinforced the critical role of cyber resilience in child safeguarding, underscoring the central message: “Protecting the data is protecting the child.”

National CERT is committed to strengthening cyber-enabled child protection frameworks in Pakistan through capacity building, inter-agency collaboration, and proactive awareness initiatives. By integrating cybersecurity considerations into border management practices, National CERT continues to support a safer and more secure environment for children on the move.

𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗘𝗥𝗧 & 𝗡𝗨𝗧𝗘𝗖𝗛 𝗘𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗮 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗣𝗮𝗸𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻’𝘀 𝗖𝘆𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝘆𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗘𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 (𝗖𝗜𝗘) 𝗜𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲

𝗜𝘀𝗹𝗮𝗺𝗮𝗯𝗮𝗱, 𝗣𝗮𝗸𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻 – The National Cyber Emergency Response Team (National CERT) of Pakistan and the National University of Technology (NUTECH) have entered into a strategic collaboration under the Cyber Innovation Ecosystem (CIE) initiative to strengthen Pakistan’s national cybersecurity landscape through academia-industry-government synergy. The MoU was signed by Brig. (R) Asif Raza Kazmi, Director TDC, National CERT, and Brig. Salman Zafar (R), Registrar NUTECH, in the presence of Dr. Haider Abbas, TI, DG National CERT, Maj Gen Khurrum Qadri (Retd), Pro Rector (P&R), and senior officials representing both organizations.

Under the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), both institutions will collaborate on advanced cybersecurity training programs, workshops, seminars, and hackathons aimed at enhancing cyber awareness, technical expertise, and professional up-skilling among students and practitioners. The partnership will also promote industry-relevant research and development initiatives, including facilitation of Final Year Project (FYP) ideas and research opportunities aligned with national cybersecurity priorities.

The collaboration further seeks to provide practical exposure and career development opportunities for students through internships, short-term engagement programs, and real-world cybersecurity learning experiences focused on emerging threat landscapes and incident response practices. This initiative represents another significant step towards nurturing indigenous cybersecurity talent and fostering innovation to address evolving digital security challenges.

The partnership reflects a shared commitment towards developing a secure, resilient, and innovation-driven cyber ecosystem for the country.