Cyber attacks rise in Pakistan on key sectors during fiscal year 2023-24: PTA

Notable victims of cyber attacks in Pakistan include healthcare, second most targeted sector, followed by technology and retail industries
An undated image. — iStock
An undated image. — iStock

The pace at which Pakistan is advancing in the realm of technology seems to have no parallel which would hinder it from catching up with global standards, but much to the country's dismay, cyber attacks have emerged as a serious threat.

According to the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), Pakistan witnessed an astonishing rise in cyber attacks, especially victimising critical infrastructure, financial institutions, and government entities.

Despite noteworthy efforts for capacity-building and awareness-raising in place by the government, such challenges persist owing to limited resources, shortage of skilled professionals, and inadequate public-private collaborations, ProPakistani cited PTA as stating.

Given a rise in such perils posing a serious threat to various key sectors and their progress, international cooperation should be taken into account to supplement cybersecurity defences.

As Pakistan is eager to establish links and interactions with giants, chances are great that the nation will be able to counter threats that put Pakistan's digital fabric in danger.

Throughout the fiscal year 2023-2024, notorious hackers targeted the manufacturing sector the most, leveraging meticulously crafted, deceptive methods including malware, phishing, Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS), ransomware, and insider threats.

Telecommunications remained the 5th most affected sector for phishing attacks that are reportedly advancing at a skyrocketing pace around the world, with a report from a credible institution noting a whopping 173% surge in phishing attacks worldwide during fiscal year 2023-24. 

Other notable sectors include healthcare, the second most targeted sector, followed by technology and retail industries.