Islamabad:
The Director -General of the National Cyber Emergency Response Team (Cert) has issued formal warnings to 39 ministries and central government departments on potential cyberattacks involving Bluelocker Ransomware threat, resulting in permanent data loss, operational disturbance and leakage of sensitive information.
According to a letter circulated by the national certificate, advisers have been issued to prevent attacks on major federal institutions. These cyberattacks, if successful, could paralyze business continuity systems and compromise confidential state data.
The letter was addressed to high -level officials, including Secretary Cabinet Division, Secretary Interior, Secretary Foreign Affairs, DG Nacta, DG FIA, National Security Division, Establishment Department, Election Commission, National Assembly and Pemra, among others.
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Further recipients include core ministries and regulatory bodies such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Finance, NITB, NDMA, OGRA and FBR.
The advisor specifically warned that Bluelocker Ransomware is a serious cyber security threat that calls on all departments to communicate the counseling, isolate infected systems from networks without delay and report any events to relevant authorities.
Bluelocker is targeted at Windows-based desktops, laptops, servers, networks and cloud storage platforms, the advisory says. It works by encrypting files and then requiring ransom for data recovery.
The National Certificate has advised against downloading from non -verified sources and clicking on suspicious links or attachments. In addition, it has called for immediate cybersecurity training for staff across all departments to help identify phishing -e emails and malicious links.
In the light of the developing trussel landscape, departments have been invited to strengthen their cyber preparedness and response protocols.
