The Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunication Thursday expressed concerns about the sale of Pakistani public data on the Dark web and instructed the safeguarding of public data, including NADRA and banks
ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint/Pakistan Point Mews-Sept 28th, 2023) :The
Senate Standing Committee on Information
Technology and Telecommunication Thursday expressed concerns about the
sale of
Pakistani public data on the Dark web and instructed the safeguarding of public data, including NADRA and banks.
Chairman of the Committee Senator Kauda Babar offered legislative support if needed for the production of data.
The official of the Ministry stressed the need for establishing the Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) to combat cyber threats and called for public awareness on the cyber security in
Pakistan.
The official also briefed the Committee on the National Cyber Security Policy (NCSP) approved in
July 2021.
Senator Afnan Ullah Khan emphasized the importance of penetration testing through ethical
hacking, an important step for ensuring data protection.
The Committee also received a briefing
from the CEO of IGNITE regarding its initiatives across the country.
IGNITE has successfully established eight National Incubation Centers (NICs) in
Pakistan, generating Rs 15
billion in revenue, creating 128 thousand
jobs, and incubating over 1400 startups.
The Chairman of the Committee commended the IGNITE for its role in enhancing the startup ecosystem and urged the establishment of NICs in more cities, especially in
Balochistan, to benefit the youth in that region.
Additionally, the Committee was briefed on the NTC infrastructure and services in
Sindh and
Balochistan.
NTC, the official telecom and ICT service provider to the Government of Pakistan, manages 128 thousand connections and has established multiple data centers across the country.
Senator Kauda Babar expressed reservations about the high rates and quality of service provided by NTC, urging improvements and offering legislative support, if needed.
The Chairman also lamented the delay in the installation and provision of National
mobile Roaming Services, despite the allocated funding
from USF.
He directed to expedite the process, especially in
Balochistan, to address connectivity issues faced by the people.
The meeting was attended by Senators Afnan Ullah Khan, Rubina Khalid, Sana Jamali, Seeme Ezdi, Sania Nishtar, Shahdat Awan, Secretary Ministry of IT and Telecommunication and CEOs of NTC and IGNITE.
