ISLAMABAD – Pakistan government websites under severe threat of cyberattacks.
The websites of the government institutions and ministries make use ofinexpensive data hosting services provided by private service providerswhich are prone to cyber threats, revealed National TelecommunicationsCorporation (NTC).
Some government institutions prefer cheap private service providers fordata hosting compared to the NTC which makes these websites easilyhackable, revealed Managing Director NTC Brigadier Viqar Rashid Khan (retd)while briefing the Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology andTelecommunication.
The committee met with Rubina Khalid in the chair on Thursday where abriefing was given on the NTC functioning, achievements and future roadmap.
Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has allowed private companies toprovide internet services to government institutions, which is one of thebiggest cyber threats to the country. Since the Pulwama incident, 50million attacks were reported on the NTC data system, but due to five-layerfoolproof arrangements, the data remained safe.
The managing director informed the committee that procuring internetservices by government institutions from private service providers is oneof the biggest cyber threats. Replying to a question, the NTC official saidthat the NTC is charging more than private companies for data hosting, butit (NTC) is providing foolproof security which private companies lack.
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The mandate of NTC is to provide telecom services to the governmentdepartments including defense forces whereas PTCL provides telecom servicesin the private sector as per the act.
The NTC managing director also raised questions over the submarine cablesunder the control of Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL). Hesaid that a submarine cable is the asset of Pakistan which is being held bythe PTCL, a private company as it was taken over by Dubai-based Etisalatafter privatization. Khan said that submarine cables should have beenhanded over to the NTC at the time of PTCL privatization.
He further said that the NTC has plans to lay marine cable alongChina-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) on the coastal highway.
