Pakistani TV Channels and Websites Face Coordinated Cyberattacks; CERT Launches Probe

On Sunday night, multiple Pakistani television channels, websites, and mobile applications faced coordinated cyberattacks, prompting the National Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) to start an official investigation. The Federal Minister for IT and Telecommunication, Shaza Fatima, chaired a meeting in Islamabad to review the situation. Cybersecurity experts and officials discussed preliminary findings and decided on a full-scale probe into the attacks. Initial reports indicate that the attacks mainly targeted the state-owned satellite, Pak-Sat, causing transmission issues for several TV channels. Private and government websites were largely unaffected, and technical teams restored affected platforms promptly. Sources revealed that hostile states and organized hacker groups were possibly behind the intrusions, and authorities are also investigating potential device-based attacks via satellite uplinks. While CERT works on a detailed forensic analysis, sources mentioned a counteraction where some Indian TV channels and Israeli websites faced hacking, with hackers displaying a message showing support for Pakistan. CERT has issued advisories to government departments and key private institutions to strengthen their cyber defence. A detailed report on the motive, origin, and technical aspects of the attacks is expected once the investigation concludes. The incident highlights increasing cyber threats targeting Pakistan’s digital and broadcast infrastructure and the need for robust cybersecurity measures.