Cybersecurity | Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Cybersecurity company Kaspersky has warned FIFA World Cup fans to be careful with unofficial streaming and betting platforms to avoid losing money and personal data. The World Cup 2026 kicked off on June 11, and alongside it, the number of scammers attempting to exploit fan excitement has also increased. According to Kaspersky, at least 336 unique domains mimicking official World Cup resources have been detected. In addition, cybercriminals are actively exploiting growing interest in match streaming and sports betting. Since the start of the tournament, the Russian company said, “fraudsters have been creating websites offering ‘online streaming’ of the championship.” Attackers have set up fake websites claiming to provide “free access to World Cup broadcasts”, it said, adding that after users click “watch now” on the site, they are prompted to register. Registration requires them to pay a cryptocurrency fee for “lifetime tournament access”. “The danger of this scheme lies in the potential loss of b...

ISLAMABAD: A recent survey titled “Cybersecurity in the Workplace: Emp­loyee Knowledge and Behaviour” shows that 39pc of professionals in Pakistan consider their company’s cybersecurity rules excessive or not fully appropriate, while 8pc say their organisations either lack such rules or they are unaware of them. The survey, conducted by cybersecurity company Kaspersky, highlights a disconnect between corporate policies and emp­loyee adherence, underscoring risks link­­ed to shadow IT and unmanaged device usage. According to the report, 38pc of respon­dents said there are no policies governing the use of non-corporate devices. Mean­while, 17pc admitted they can use personal devices to access business information if these have some form of cybersecurity protection, even consumer-grade software. On the positive side, 16pc said personal devices must pass stringent corporate IT security checks before use, while 29pc reported that only company-issued devices are permitted for work. The situation is relatively bette...

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information Technology (IT) and Telecom Shaza Fatima Khawaja said the Cybersecurity Act 2025 was essential for national security and reflected the government’s whole-of-nation approach to cybersecurity, marking a major reform initiative. She noted that the Act will establish the National Cybersecurity Authority (NCA) to lead nationwide incident response and thr­eat intelligence, while exp­ansion of the Pakistan Computer Emergency Res­ponse Team (PKCERT), and the development of secure digital public infrastructure under the Digital Economy Enhancement Project (Deep) will further strengthen national cyber resilience. Ms Khawaja was add­ressing a gathering at FAST National University, Islam­abad, on the theme ‘Securing Pakistan’s Digi­tal Frontier: CyberShield, Policy & the Future’. The event was hosted by the FAST Public Policy and Res­earch Society (FPPRS). She added that Pakis­tan’s long-term objective is to build a cyber-resilient, innovation-driven dig­ital nation where secur...