Islamabad, Dec 16: Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Chairman Hafeez-ur-Rehman recently clarified that the PTA has not blocked any Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) and has no plans to do so in the future. Speaking at the launch of the PTA’s Annual Report 2024, he emphasized that while the authority has the technical capability to block VPNs, it has refrained from doing so. He also pointed out that attempts to conceal information through such means are ineffective in today’s digital world.
Regarding internet shutdowns for national security reasons, the chairman acknowledged that PTA does not have a direct response and stated that such questions should be addressed to policymakers. In terms of cybersecurity, PTA has taken proactive steps to address fake accounts and security breaches. This year, the PTA reported over 1,000 fake IDs and nearly 40 hacked accounts to Meta, including impersonations of government officials, politicians, and private citizens. Of the 37 hacked accounts, 27 were Facebook accounts, with the rest being WhatsApp accounts. These reports were made to Meta for restoration.
Chairman Hafeez-ur-Rehman also discussed the challenges in tracking hacking complaints, noting that users often report incidents directly to social media platforms like Meta, which encourages such direct communication for quicker resolutions.
The PTA identified several causes of security vulnerabilities, including social engineering scams, data breaches, unsecured public Wi-Fi, malware, weak passwords, and the absence of two-factor authentication (2FA). The use of free VPNs was also highlighted as a contributing factor to security risks.
