NCERT spokesperson confirms no data breach reports from Pakistani government or private sectors
A spokesperson for Pakistan’s National Cyber Emergency Response Team (NCERT) announced on Tuesday that no government or private organizations in Pakistan have reported any data breaches following a major global data exposure affecting 184 million internet users.
NCERT issued a warning about a massive data leak involving an unencrypted, publicly accessible file containing over 184 million unique account credentials, as reported by Arab News.
The compromised data includes usernames, passwords, email addresses, and linked service URLs from platforms such as Google, Microsoft, Apple, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, along with various government portals, banks, and healthcare services worldwide.
“So far, we have not received any breach reports from any government or private entities within Pakistan,” said Syed Imran Haider, NCERT’s spokesperson.
He added that NCERT remains “alert, coordinating with all relevant departments, and working nonstop” to track developments. “We are also collaborating closely with international CERTs and cybersecurity organizations,” he noted.
The leaked database is believed to have been gathered through infostealer malware—a malicious program designed to extract sensitive information from infected systems. The data was stored in plain text without encryption or password protection.
In response, NCERT has advised users to change their passwords, especially those reused across different platforms, and to activate multi-factor authentication on critical accounts.
“Users should also create strong, unique passwords for each service and avoid saving passwords in unsecured files,” Haider emphasized.
Cybersecurity experts warn that Pakistani users could face risks such as identity theft, account takeovers, and financial fraud due to this data exposure.
Dr. Shahid Sultan, a cybersecurity specialist, highlighted that banking and financial accounts are particularly vulnerable to unauthorized access.
“We urge individuals and organizations to stay vigilant, monitor their login activities for suspicious behavior, and follow NCERT’s recommended precautions,” Dr. Sultan said.
