Cybersecurity threats

Cybersecurity in Pakistan remains a critically vulnerable area, as we have seen from several high-profile hacks in recent years. Apart from banks, serious data leaks occurred at NADRA and FBR. Subsequent reports also suggest that many of the vulnerabilities exploited by hackers still exist. Internationally, we have seen hacks devastate entire sectors of the economy. In 2021, the SolarWinds hack compromised government and private data in several countries, allegedly including the Pentagon. Meanwhile, the Colonial Pipeline hack showed what happens when critical infrastructure is hit.

Hackers closed the US oil pipeline and succeeded in getting a ransom payment of over $4 million in cryptocurrency within hours — enough time to send fuel prices skyrocketing and creating supply problems that lingered for several weeks. Insurance company CNA, which ironically sells cybersecurity coverage, paid a $40 million ransom after a hack last year. Ransomware hacks have also targeted hospitals, power grids, and other critical infrastructure, meaning they are not just a matter of money, but life and death. While we may joke about how all of Pakistan losing power due to a hack of the power grid would go unnoticed by most of the country, just imagine the chaos if hospitals and critical security services went down.

A further threat for Pakistan is the popularity of pirated software, which is usually already ‘cracked’ or ‘jailbroken’ to remove security features, making it more susceptible to hacks. Incidentally, the FBR hack was blamed on the widespread use of pirated software. There is much work to be done on the ground, and it remains concerning that when successful private businesses seem unwilling to lay out the money to do it, how will a cash-strapped government manage.