Conference: ‘Cyber emergency response team need of the hour’

MULTAN:

“A cyber security force is required,” said Bahauddin Zakariya University Vice Chancellor Syed Khawaja Alqama on Friday.

He was addressing the concluding ceremony of National Cyber Conference,

He said cyber security issues had changed the definition of defence.

The conference was organised to promote research among BZU computer science students working on cyber security.

Speakers at the conference said cyber warfare would become common in 10 years.

The conference featured seminars on network, database and hardware security. As many as 30 speakers addressed the conference.

Dr Amanullah Khan of Air University and Pakistan Information Security Association resident Ammar Jafri also addressed the conference.

Speakers from Cambridge University and Surrey University addressed the conference via video-link.

Conference organiser Nasir Mumtaz Bhutta gave an overview of the types of cyber attacks and how to counter them. He also appreciated the efforts of the VC and organisers for hosting the event at the BZU.

Jafri shared his experiences while investigating cyber crime incidents. He said cyber criminals had their own encrypted and secure networks.

He said the BZU should make a Cyber Emergency Response Team (CERT) to resolve cyber crime incidents in the region.

Haitham Cruickshank of Surrey University emphasised satellite communication security.

“Threats to satellite communications are increasing. Hacking a satellite is not too different from hacking a computer,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 9^th, 2015.