ISLAMABAD, JULY19: The Pakistani government has announced the installation of cutting-edge firewalls on internet service providers in an effort to reduce the dissemination of misleading information on social media and to improve cyber security.
To guarantee the highest security and dependability criteria, the PTA has stipulated that Chinese brands will not be included in the next generation firewalls, which are referred to as Lot A.The hardware warranty for these firewalls will provide next business day (NBD) support to reduce downtime and quickly resolve any technical difficulties. By identifying and preventing social media IDs from disseminating fake political propaganda against state institutions, the sophisticated firewalls aim to stop the spread of incorrect information.
sophisticated DNS security services, sophisticated sandboxing with malware protection and analysis services, application control, advanced threat prevention services, URL filtering, and six virtual firewall systems with client and clientless VPN services are among the hardware requirements for Lot A. To offer complete protection, these firewalls will also include all of the current security packages.
Web application firewalls (Lot B) will be installed in addition to the next-generation firewalls to provide additional security by monitoring and filtering HTTP traffic to and from web applications. Web application firewalls with a minimum of 8 * 1GE RJ45, 4 * 1GE SFP, and 2 * 10GE SFP ports with redundant power supply and administration ports are included in the hardware specifications for Lot B. To offer consistent and dependable protection, these WAFs will have sophisticated load-balancing technologies and an advanced five-year hardware warranty.
The advanced features offered by next-generation firewalls (NGFWs) will outweigh the capabilities of conventional firewalls. These consist of application awareness and control, intrusion prevention systems (IPS), and deep packet inspection.
NGFWs will have complete insight into network traffic, the ability to recognize and reject anti-state content in real-time, and the ability to impose security policies based on user identities and device kinds. NGFWs will also incorporate with threat intelligence services in order to proactively counter new attacks and adjust to the constantly changing cybersecurity environment.
Similar to this, web application firewalls (WAFs) monitor and filter traffic going into and out of web applications to provide enhanced security. These WAFs will identify and stop cyberthreats including cross-site scripting (XSS), SQL injection, and other exploited vulnerabilities.
Additionally, they will include comprehensive analytics and reporting features that will make it possible to recognize attack trends and create preemptive defense plans. WAFs can improve the overall security posture of online applications, protect sensitive data, and guarantee compliance with security requirements thanks to these cutting-edge features.The Public Procurement Regulatory Authority’s (PPRA) EPADS System is the means by which the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority has invited bids.
The PTA states that the deadline for submitting bids is July 26. Additionally, the PTA has agreements in place with internet service providers to deploy firewalls; the companies and the government will split the associated costs. The PTA representative did not answer questions regarding the bid.
