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By Tanveer Ahmed :
New cybersecurity framework sets reporting deadlines and strengthens protection of critical government systems
The federal government has proposed mandatory reporting timelines for cybersecurity incidents under the Pakistan Information Security Framework (PISF), a move aimed at improving cyber resilience across ministries, departments and public sector organisations.
The proposed framework introduces standardised procedures for reporting, managing and recovering from cyberattacks while strengthening the protection of government information systems against an increasingly complex threat landscape.
Strict reporting deadlines for cyber incidents
Under the draft framework, organisations designated as Critical Information Infrastructure (CII) will be required to report confirmed cybersecurity incidents immediately after they are verified.
These organisations must notify their respective sectoral regulator, the relevant Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) and the National CERT without delay. A detailed incident report must then be submitted within 72 hours of verification.
Public sector organisations that are not classified as CII will have a longer reporting window, with verified cybersecurity incidents required to be reported to the relevant regulator or CERT within 120 hours.
The proposed timelines are intended to improve coordination during cyber incidents and enable faster responses to potential threats.
Agencies required to strengthen cyber defences
Beyond incident reporting, the framework requires government organisations to establish comprehensive cybersecurity incident management policies covering every stage of a cyberattack.
These policies would include:
- Incident preparedness
- Threat detection
- Response and containment
- Mitigation measures
- Incident reporting
- System recovery
- Remediation
- Post-incident reviews
Organisations would also be required to classify cyber incidents according to their severity and clearly define the responsibilities of personnel involved in responding to security breaches.
Greater focus on preparedness
The proposed framework places significant emphasis on improving organisational readiness for cyber threats.
Government departments would be expected to maintain adequately trained cybersecurity staff, conduct regular training programmes and organise periodic cyberattack simulation exercises.
Officials say these drills would help identify operational weaknesses, improve response procedures and strengthen resilience against future attacks.
Investment in security technologies encouraged
The framework also recommends that organisations evaluate the need for modern cybersecurity tools, including:
- Security Operations Centres (SOCs)
- Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) platforms
- Advanced security monitoring systems
These technologies are designed to improve real-time threat detection, incident monitoring and coordinated responses to cyber threats.
Learning from cyber incidents
Following every cybersecurity incident, organisations would be required to document lessons learned and implement corrective measures within defined timelines.
The objective is to reduce the risk of similar incidents recurring while continuously improving cybersecurity practices across government institutions.
The framework also integrates cybersecurity planning with broader business continuity and disaster recovery strategies.
Under the proposal, organisations would establish recovery objectives, conduct annual continuity exercises and maintain documented procedures for communication, system restoration and operational recovery during cyber emergencies.
Strengthening Pakistan’s cyber resilience
The Pakistan Information Security Framework is intended to create a unified cybersecurity governance model for the public sector at a time when governments worldwide are facing increasingly sophisticated cyber threats, including ransomware, data breaches and attacks on critical infrastructure.
If implemented, the framework would establish consistent cybersecurity standards across federal institutions, improve incident reporting and enhance the government’s ability to detect, respond to and recover from cyberattacks more effectively.
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