ISLAMABAD: Caretaker Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Dr Umar Saif here on Wednesday said that cyber crime was a serious issue that needs to be tackled effectively.

“Protection of Pakistan’s cyberspace under the PECA Act is very important, but the issue cannot be handled by the cyber crime wing of FIA,” the minister said, speaking at the prize distribution ceremony of “Digital Pakistan Cybersecurity Hackathon 2023’.

The event was organised by the National Technology Fund (Ignite), an entity under the IT and Telcom Ministry.

Dr Saif said that there was no specific organisation to act against cyber crime, so a cyber crime wing was created in FIA to look into these issues.

He highlighted that recently a new separate agency - National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA )--has been established.

The federal cabinet approved the establishment of NCCIA on December 13, that is a dedicated agency to replace FIA for cyber crimes.

The minister said that funds have been allocated for the new agency to have required expertise and resources to prevent, investigate and prosecute cyber crimes in Pakistan.

“Gradually, the authority to act against cybercrime is being transferred from FIA cyber crime wing to this particular organisation,” he added.

He said that cybercrime, online buying and selling, cyber-bullying, protection of online data, other services of our citizens, identification of threats and effective action against criminals is the responsibility of the state.

“The NCCIA will be an effective platform through which Pakistan’s cyberspace, data of public and private institutions, business transactions, and online activities of citizens can be secured.” Dr Said added.

Chief Executive Officer Ignite, Asim Shehryar Hussain highlighted about the efforts to identify and nurture talent capable of thwarting malicious cyber attempts at national networks.

“Our progress is evident in the establishment of operational readiness for Pakistan’s National Computer Emergency Response Team (NCERT) and the imminent institutionalisation of a Cyber Security Authority.

“Creating awareness about cyber security among the public was also essential,” Mr Hussain added.

He informed that six teams represented Pakistan at Blackhat’s cyber-security competition in Saudi Arabia in November this year and four of them were ranked in the top 35 teams out of 250 international teams who participated in the event. He added that education plays a crucial role in shaping a safer digital space.

He added that this achievement reflects the high caliber of our participants and the success of our ongoing initiatives.

Published in Dawn, December 28th, 2023