THE National Security Committee (NSC) on Wednesday approved the formation of a high-level Committee to probe the recently surfaced audio leaks featuring candid conversations between key figures in the coalition government and instructed the Ministry of Law to prepare a “legal framework” regarding cyber security.
The participants were informed that emergency measures were being taken to ensure the security of the Prime Minister’s House and other important places, buildings and ministries in order to “avoid any such situation in the future”.
The meeting also reviewed the flood situation with focus on relief measures and received a comprehensive briefing on the PM’s UN visit and SCO summit.
There were media reports regarding preliminary investigations into the massive security breach and people were expecting to get some clue about what happened but regrettably the official communication on the proceedings of the meeting was silent on this aspect.
There are reasons to believe that the agencies have found some reliable evidence and linkages and that is why the alleged hacker is reported to have changed his mind not to implement his threat of releasing the entire leaked data on Friday.
This shows the agencies are on the right track and hopefully fuller details would emerge after completion of the probe by the high- powered Committee, headed by the Interior Minister and comprising representatives of different agencies.
The official statement has not explained the nature of the steps taken to beef up security but success of any plan and the system depends much on proper evaluation of the threats and the quality of manpower and gadgets to be acquired for the new system.
The decision to appoint a Director-General of Cyber Security can produce the desired results only if a genuinely professional head with required vision is appointed and in turn he inducts manpower purely on merit and not on recommendations of this and that official as is the practice in every ministry and institution.
