Pakistan's Higher Education Commission and National CERT Sign Cybersecurity Pact

Pakistan's Higher Education Commission (HEC) and the country's National Cyber Emergency Response Team (National CERT) have signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at strengthening cybersecurity across the higher education sector.

The agreement, signed in Islamabad, is intended to enhance cooperation, coordination and resilience in protecting universities and academic institutions from cyber threats. Officials said the partnership marks a step toward building the sector's capacity to prevent, detect and respond to cybersecurity incidents.

Under the memorandum, the two organizations are expected to work together on areas such as information sharing, incident response support and awareness-building initiatives for universities across the country. Details on specific programs or funding associated with the agreement were not disclosed in the initial announcement.

The move comes amid a broader push by Pakistani authorities to strengthen cybersecurity across public institutions as digital infrastructure becomes increasingly central to education, research and administration. Universities and research bodies have faced growing exposure to cyber risks as more academic services move online.

Officials from HEC and National CERT said further details on implementation of the partnership would be announced as the collaboration progresses.