Securely off

Recently, there has been a notable celebration of claims that Pakistan is ‘100% secure’ in cyberspace. It is important to recognise that a machine that is turned off is inherently protected from cyber threats – not because of advanced defences or firewalls, but simply because it is not in use. This scenario, often driven by frequent loadshedding and high power costs, does not reflect a robust or resilient IT infrastructure but rather one that remains underutilised. Celebrating our security in such a context could mislead the public and shift focus away from addressing the real gaps in our digital infrastructure.

I urge the authorities to realign their actions towards addressing these gaps and focusing on how we can truly empower our nation through IT and technology. The ease with which programming can now be learned and applied – thanks to the advancements in AI – means that our youth are more empowered than ever to develop innovative solutions. They must be encouraged to engage in projects that leverage this data for the public good, creating a more efficient and responsive government.

H Rehaman and Haram Rehman

Islamabad