3
has made computer systems in Pakistan vulnerable to outsider cyberattacks
and data breaches through embedded malwares, backdoors, and chipsets.
1.3
CHALLENGES AND RISKS
Since data treated as an economic asset, it faces threats and risks like
any other asset. To mitigate IT security vulnerabilities, a comprehensive Cyber
Security policy is a baseline mechanism to address the following risks and
challenges globally. The most important of these are as follows.
1.3.1 Ownership at the Top
Information is one of the fundamental pillars of knowledge-based
economies. Hence, information being a National asset, its management,
governance, and regulation must be synchronized at the National level using
all available resources, to secure this time-sensitive valuable asset. Cyber
Security requires administrative support due to its sensitive nature, challenging
domain, and cross-sectoral application.
1.3.2 Governance and Implementation challenges of Cyber Security
Policy and Strategy
In the absence of a centralized policy and strategy for Cyber Security,
attempts at securing the digital assets of the country are liable to be random
and uncoordinated.
i.
WEAK ENFORCEMENT OF STATUTES
The existing legislation related to Cyber Security does not provide effective
legal protection of Pakistan’s digital assets. The existing legislation related to
Cyber Security is not sufficient to provide an adequate mechanism and there
is a dire need to transform it in such a manner that it should keep the interest
of the nation in letter and spirit without fail. For that matter, an appropriate
legislative structure could help to comply against a centralized and robust
compliance framework.
ii.
ASSESSMENT AND CONTINUAL IMPROVEMENT
The legal framework, structures, and processes related to Cyber Security
require monitoring, assessment, and improvement on a continuous basis or
they will lose their viability and become a threat themselves. The
National Cyber Security Policy 2021