ISLAMABAD:
The government has constituted a national committee to formulate an information security framework aimed at countering cyber communications and networks operated by hostile agencies.
According to a notification, the committee, called National Committee for Information and Communications Security (NCICS), will be headed by Secretary, Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication.
Its members include Director General (Technical) of Inter Services Intelligence (ISI), Chairman of Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), Director General of National Cyber Emergency Response Team (NCERT), a former Additional Secretary of Establishment Division, Secretary of National Telecom and Information Technology Security Board (NTISB) and Secretary of Cabinet Division.
The committee will assess and monitor the information systems of federal government ministries, divisions and organizations to identify vulnerabilities, conduct gap assessments, evaluate the effectiveness of existing information security processes, and recommend measures to mitigate risks and strengthen the overall security posture of information systems.
It will also analyze completed IT and cybersecurity audits conducted by the NTISB and NCERT to formulate recommendations and corrective measures to improve the national cybersecurity governance framework.
It will also carry out the development of the human resources cadre for cybersecurity, the implementation of technical controls and the rationalization of security aspects in the acquisitions of cyber and IT systems. The committee will also conduct gap assessments in critical sectors such as healthcare, energy, civil aviation and transportation to identify vulnerabilities in information systems and recommend cybersecurity measures.
It will also formulate a compliance mechanism that appropriately incorporates essential information security controls linked to the organization’s key performance indicators (KPIs) to ensure effective monitoring and implementation.
It will establish a Federal CERT (FCERT) under the NCERT in accordance with the CERT Rules 2023 to focus on information security aspects of all ministries, divisions and government organizations.
