EDITORIAL: The World Economic Forum’s report on Global Cyber-security Outlook 2025, published on January 13, underscores the precarious state of global cyber-security, emphasising how geopolitical tensions, the rapid emergence of new technologies and the growing sophistication of malicious actors have worsened vulnerabilities in digital systems worldwide. Of all the threats highlighted, the one stemming from an increasingly complex geopolitical environment is considered especially alarming, with 60 percent of organisations surveyed for the report stating that this factor has significantly affected their cyber-security strategies. Geopolitical instability has reshaped risk perceptions as well, with a third of CEOs highlighting cyber espionage and intellectual property theft as key threats, while 45 percent indicated apprehensions over the potential disruption of their operations and business processes due to global power dynamics.
Compounding matters is the rapid adoption of emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI), with 66 percent of organisations anticipating AI to have the greatest influence on cyber-security in the years ahead. Furthermore, the fragmented nature of regulatory requirements across regions, vulnerabilities in interconnected supply chains and a widening cyber skills gap, especially among different regions, are heightening challenges. As the report highlights, while most Europeans and North Americans remain assured about their countries’ ability to counter cyber threats, such confidence is absent for huge sections of the global population.
In the Pakistani context, there is much to learn from the WEF’s report, given the rapid strides the country is making with respect to internet connectivity and increased digitalisation of key systems. Not only are steps being taken to roll out the 5G spectrum auction this year, the satellite-based internet providing company Starlink has also been recently registered, while far-reaching initiatives, including the Digital Nation Pakistan Bill and the Uraan Pakistan project, if implemented effectively, could revolutionise the nation’s digital landscape. It is clear that such wide-ranging transformations require substantial investments in cyber-security systems, skilled personnel, and strengthening cyber resilience to protect critical digital infrastructure and safeguard against emerging cyber threats.
In Pakistan, however, alongside the typical cyber threats, the government itself has significantly complicated the cyber-security landscape through internet censorship, throttling of internet speeds, and attempts to block VPN access, introducing new risks and eroding confidence in digital security. There is a clear lack of understanding among the rulers regarding the multifaceted impact of their actions. For instance, simply slowing down internet speeds can disrupt critical communication channels, delay security updates, and create vulnerabilities that cybercriminals may exploit. The staggering lack of grip over fundamental cyber-security principles is further underscored by the attempts to restrict access to VPNs, a vital resource for ensuring online privacy and protecting sensitive information, ultimately weakening the security framework for the entire economy.
The various measures taken to supposedly bolster cyber-security, including setting up of the now-defunct National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency and later the Digital Rights Protection Authority, were clearly motivated by the need to monitor citizens’ online activities and clamp down on dissent, rather than instituting systems that enhance the country’s cyber resilience. And the ineffectiveness of the cyber-security apparatus is further underlined by the fact that the conviction rate in cybercrime cases has remained under five percent over the past five years.
The insufficient investments in strengthening Pakistan’s cyber-security infrastructure, combined with the obsession with surveillance and control creates a dangerous intersection with other threats, including those driven by geopolitical tensions and the rapid advancement of AI, as highlighted by the WEF report, further complicating efforts to protect the nation’s digital resilience. It is crucial that the government reorients its priorities towards genuinely protecting citizens from cyber-security threats, dismantles counterproductive measures that have undermined security and trust in digital systems, and focuses on building a robust, transparent cyber-security framework.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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