Pakistan has introduced new restrictions on restoring systems affected by cyberattacks, requiring government departments to receive security clearance before reconnecting affected networks.

Under the National Cybersecurity Handbook 2026–27, federal and provincial government organizations must follow specific procedures after cybersecurity incidents. The rules are designed to ensure proper investigation and threat removal before services are restored.

According to the handbook, departments cannot restore services or reconnect affected network segments until approval is received from the National Cyber Emergency Response Team (PKCERT).

The guidelines require all cyber incidents to be reported through approved channels. Organizations must also inform relevant Computer Emergency Response Teams (CERTs) operating under the CERT Rules 2023.

PKCERT teams will investigate serious cyber incidents and conduct digital forensic analysis. The investigation will identify how the attack happened, evaluate the damage, and help contain possible threats.

Government organizations must provide investigators with access to affected systems, infrastructure, logs, and other related records. Officials are required to cooperate during the investigation process.

The new rules also focus on protecting digital evidence after cyberattacks. Departments must maintain a proper chain of custody for affected devices and storage media.

Officials have been instructed not to modify audit logs, firewall records, or memory data after an incident. Unauthorized personnel and vendors will also be restricted from accessing systems under quarantine.

The handbook states that government departments must follow emergency instructions issued by PKCERT investigation teams. Authorities believe early restoration without complete analysis could allow hidden threats to remain within Government Networks.

Officials warned that incomplete investigations may increase service disruptions and make it difficult to identify the source of attacks. It could also affect efforts to determine which systems and information were impacted.

The new policy places cybersecurity investigations and clearance procedures before the restoration of affected Government Networks. Departments will need to complete containment and remediation steps before bringing systems back online.

In other news read more about: Punjab Traffic Police Collect Rs.9.9 Billion in Fines Over 2.5 Months

The measures aim to strengthen cybersecurity response across public-sector organizations and ensure that cyber threats are properly addressed before services resume. The updated approach requires government bodies to prioritize security checks while managing cyberattack recovery.