Pakistan expands digital security and cybersecurity infrastructure

The Punjab government has approved the establishment of a new Counter-Narrative and Cognitive Security Wing within the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD). This initiative aims to combat digital propaganda, online misinformation, and anti-state narratives. The project involves hiring 120 specialists, including experts in Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT), dark web analysis, social media strategy, and fact-checking. The total estimated cost of the project is expected to exceed Rs3 billion, with an annual budget of Rs492.1 million allocated to the new wing.

In a separate move to bolster national digital infrastructure, Pakistan has set a November 2026 deadline for provincial and sectoral Computer Emergency Response Teams (CERTs) to activate their own Security Operations Centers (SOCs). This directive is intended to enhance the country’s ability to detect and respond to cyber threats across critical sectors such as banking, telecommunications, energy, and health. The goal is to create layered protection by allowing provincial and sectoral teams to provide continuous monitoring and localized incident response alongside the existing National CERT.