KARACHI: A conference on the cybersecurity ecosystem brought together leading minds including policymakers, technology experts, academics, government officials, corporate leaders and professionals from the banking and financial sectors to collectively address the ever-evolving landscape of digital threats and resilience.

The conference, Beyond the Firewall 3.0, was organised by the Institute of Business Administration (IBA), in collaboration with the National Cyber Emergency Response Team (National CERT).

Speaking on the occasion, CERT Director General Dr Haider Abbas said: “Cybersecurity is no longer just a technical concern; it is now a core pillar of national security.”

“We must treat cyber threats with the same urgency as physical ones,” he said. “Building a cyber-resilient Pakistan requires collective vigilance, continuous innovation, and coordinated action.”

Earlier, the conference commenced with a welcome note by Prof Dr Shakeel Ahmed Khoja, dean of IBA Karachi, who highlighted the institute’s role in bolstering Pakistan’s digital defences.

He noted that IBA, through its Centre for Information & Comm­unication Technology (CICT), had been contributing to capacity building, research and training in cybersecurity, data science, artificial intelligence, blockchain and related technologies.

Dr Khoja stressed the need for integrating cybersecurity into the national discourse and reiterated IBA’s commitment to producing skilled cyber professionals.

The conference featured two panel discussions titled “The Wire Warfare”, moderated by Jawwad Farid and “Surviving Invisible Conflict”, led by Haris Shamsi, the CEO of Yottabyte.

Published in Dawn, June 30th, 2025