Over the past four years, the telecom industry has received 162 recommendations and cyber security concerns from the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA).
PTA exchanged 39 cyber security warnings and alerts with the telecom industry in 2018–19, according to the papers. PTA shared 40 cyber security recommendations and alerts with the telecom industry in 2019–20. In the years 2020–2021 and 2021–2022, the authority distributed 48 and 35 warnings and security alerts to the telecom industry, respectively.
In each of the last four quarters, the authority has on average distributed 10 to 12 warnings and cyber security alerts to the telecom industry.
The document states that the authority launched the Telecom CERT Portal in March 2021 and that PTA licensees were the only ones who could access it for the purpose of exchanging bilateral information on new risks. The authorities also decided to launch the National Telecom CERT (nTCERT) to raise awareness among telecom operators and the general public in response to popular demand.
The Authority claims that the most crucial information on the nTCERT website is the most recent security warnings and alerts for the general public as well as educational messages on how to use Internet services safely.
The most recent information regarding the Critical Telecom Data and Infrastructure Security Regulation (CTDISR) is also included, along with information on capacity building workshops. The public provides the PTA with input on new dangers and suggestions for improvement through nTCERT.
The PTA claims that the Authority receives a high-level overview of the security posture of various telecom organisations through the nTCERT platform. Additionally, telcos can provide the appropriate authority with anonymised event information and Indicators of Compromise (IOCs).
