National CERT Warns Government: Preserve Digital Evidence Before Restoring Hacked Systems
Pakistan’s National Cyber Emergency Response Team (National CERT) has issued a critical warning to government organisations across the country, urging them to exercise extreme caution before restoring computer systems that have been compromised in cyber attacks. The directive stresses that digital evidence must be preserved during ongoing cybersecurity investigations, so that forensic experts can properly analyse each breach and hold those responsible accountable.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the national cybersecurity body said that restoring hacked systems without a proper forensic examination could destroy crucial data needed to understand how a breach happened. Officials emphasised that maintaining the integrity of digital evidence is vital — not only to identify the perpetrators behind an attack, but also to prevent similar incidents in the future.
The warning comes at a time when cybersecurity threats against Pakistan are rising sharply. According to the statement, both the government and the private sector have increasingly fallen victim to sophisticated cyber attacks. Beyond the immediate disruption to operations, such breaches can have serious implications for national security and public trust in the country’s digital infrastructure.
National CERT also announced that it plans to conduct workshops and training sessions aimed at strengthening the cybersecurity capabilities of government entities. Further investigations into recent cyber incidents are expected, with a focus on developing stronger strategies to guard against future attacks.
Why restoring a hacked system too quickly is dangerous
When a government computer or server is hacked, the first instinct of IT teams is usually to wipe the machine and bring it back online as fast as possible — every hour of downtime hurts. But cybersecurity experts say this rush to restore can permanently erase the very clues needed to trace the attackers.
Forensic investigators examine system logs, malware samples, memory dumps and network traffic records to reconstruct the attack: how the intruders got in, what they stole, which systems they touched, and whether any backdoors were left behind. If a system is rebuilt before this evidence is collected, the investigation loses its most important material — and the organisation may never learn the true extent of the breach.
This is precisely what the National CERT warning is designed to prevent. Government departments are now being told to treat every compromised system like a crime scene: isolate it, secure it, document everything, and only restore it after forensic teams have gathered the evidence they need.
Part of a wider cybersecurity push by National CERT
The new directive is the latest in a string of advisories from the National CERT, which has been noticeably active throughout October 2026 as part of the Cyber Month 2026 awareness campaign.
Only a day earlier, the agency — jointly with the National Telecommunication Corporation (NTC) — warned government staff against simple physical-security mistakes that expose secure facilities to hacking. Personnel were told to protect their access badges, prevent unauthorised people from tailgating through secure doors, lock computer screens when leaving their desks, keep printed documents and passwords out of sight, and never plug unknown USB drives or chargers into official computers.
The “Stay Aware, Stay Secure” campaign highlights that physical security is cybersecurity — every badge, door and workstation represents a potential entry point that must be guarded.
Cybersecurity Handbook and secure VPN guidelines
Earlier in October, National CERT also issued guidelines directing government employees to use only approved virtual private networks (VPNs) when accessing official systems remotely. The guidance, outlined in the National Cybersecurity Handbook 2026-27, warns that exposing government services directly to the internet increases the risk of cyber attacks, unauthorised access and data interception.
Employees have been advised to rely solely on department-approved VPN services, maintain strong login credentials, and end remote access sessions immediately after completing official tasks to reduce exposure.
Fake NADRA, FBR and FIA websites also flagged
The same month, the Threat Intelligence Center of the National CERT detected a phishing campaign using fake websites set up in the names of key government institutions. Suspicious domains were found impersonating the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), the Higher Education Commission (HEC), the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP), the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme and Punjab Safe Cities.
Citizens and government departments have been urged to stay alert against suspicious links, login pages and websites, as the fake domains were reported to remain active at the time of the warning.
What government organisations should do now
Taken together, the advisories point to a clear message from Pakistan’s national cyber authority: do not treat a hacked system as a routine IT failure.
Government departments are advised to isolate any compromised system from the network immediately, refrain from wiping or restoring it until forensic teams have preserved the evidence, and report incidents through the official channels. IT teams should also run regular threat-hunting exercises and comprehensive security audits to catch intrusions early.
As Pakistan’s public services continue to move online, the stakes of every breach keep rising. The National CERT’s latest warning is a reminder that the hours after an attack are when the evidence is most valuable — and most easily lost.
Sources: ADN News English, TechJuice
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