The Higher Education Commission (HEC) and Pakistan’s National Cyber Emergency Response Team (National CERT) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen cybersecurity cooperation and resilience across the country’s higher education sector.
Under the agreement, Pakistan Education & Research Network (PERN) and HEC will establish the Education Sector Computer Emergency Response Team (EduCERT). The platform will provide universities and higher education institutions with a dedicated mechanism for cybersecurity coordination, threat information sharing, and response to emerging cyber threats.
EduCERT will support cyber threat monitoring, incident coordination, security awareness, and institutional cyber resilience. It will also enable universities to share threat intelligence, cybersecurity knowledge, and best practices to improve preparedness across the sector.
HEC Chairman Prof. Dr. Niaz Ahmad Akhtar said stronger cybersecurity measures are essential to protecting digital infrastructure, academic systems, and institutional data. He emphasized coordinated efforts, timely information sharing, and stronger institutional capacity to address evolving cyber threats.
The initiative is expected to provide universities with a more structured framework for collaboration and improve their ability to prepare for and respond to cybersecurity incidents.
