Digital privacy crisis

The recent arrest of a man by National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) for allegedly selling the personal data of millions of citizens online exposes the extent of national vulnerability to data theft and leaks due to lax internet security. While the arrest itself is commendable, the most effective way to protect people's data is not enforcement, but rather better personal online security practices.

One way the government can help is through comprehensive cybersecurity reforms. While some effective measures have been taken in the recent past, the corruption ingrained in our government system has kept these reforms from realising their potential, with the recent bribery scandal involving a famous YouTuber and at least nine NCCIA officers being a prime example.

And while there is no substitute for precaution, it is worth noting that the data breach from which the arrested hacker allegedly stole personal records was at the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra), meaning that security around the most sensitive cache of citizens' data could be cracked by a run-of-the-mill hacker.

Also, even people in sensitive jobs are clueless about online scams and data security, as illustrated by a recent spate of scammer attacks on parliamentarians, who were defrauded of millions of rupees in various scams. This came despite each of the attacks bearing textbook markers of 'phishing', where scammers impersonate banks and other institutions to extract birthdays, account numbers and other information that our actual banks constantly remind us not to share over the phone or with unverified email addresses and apps.

Pakistan's push toward digitisation cannot succeed without parallel and robust legal and institutional frameworks. The government must treat data protection as a paramount national security issue and ensure swift enactment and enforcement of strong data privacy laws, not just to harass its opponents and critics, but to defend citizens.