Govt Moves to Secure E-Office System with Major Cybersecurity Upgrade

ISLAMABAD

The government has initiated a major upgrade of its e-office system to safeguard it against rising cyber threats, directing all public institutions to shift the network to a secure internal infrastructure.

According to officials, government departments have been instructed to disconnect the e-office system from the public internet and migrate it to a protected internal network to reduce exposure to cyberattacks.

The National CERT has issued detailed directives to federal and provincial ministries, calling for enhanced monitoring of digital infrastructure amid increasing cybersecurity risks.

As part of the new policy, all departments are required to deploy advanced antivirus and endpoint detection and response (EDR) systems, along with next-generation firewalls to strengthen network defenses. Strict access control measures are also being enforced to prevent unauthorised entry into government systems.

Officials said only approved devices will be allowed access through IP and MAC address binding, while the use of unauthorised virtual private networks (VPNs) has been completely banned. Access to the e-office system will be restricted to designated secure networks only.

Employees using the platform will be required to strictly follow updated security protocols, as part of efforts to protect sensitive government data from breaches and cyber intrusions.

Authorities have given ministries and departments a one-month deadline to fully implement the new security measures. The move is expected to significantly reduce risks of hacking and data theft across government systems.