ஒரு முதியவன் பாதாளங்களைத் தாண்டும் தன் மந்திரக்கோலால் சாய்த்தபடியிருக்கிறான் நாட்சத்திரங்களை. .............................................................................................................................................................................. இது எத்தனையாவது [...] "There are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say, we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns: the ones we don't know we don't know." I recall reading this , almost a decade ago, when I was pursuing my Master’s in Information Security. We were learning how unsupervised machine learning can be applied for anomaly detection in network security. This quote just clicked. It captured something deeper than code: the reality that in cybersecurity, it’s not just the threats you know about that matter. It’s the ones you don’t even see coming: the unknown unknowns that can absolutely shake your systems. That idea has stuck with me ever since. quote from former U.S. Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld That’s exactly why the CTI Pakistan 2025 stood out. It wasn’t just another cybersecurity event. It was a powerful convergence of public and private sector leaders. The conversations, technical talks, and the expert panels all reflected a deep understanding of this very challenge: preparing not just for what we know, but for what we haven’t yet imagined. Organized by Resecurity in collaboration with the Pakistan Information Security Association (PISA), Security Experts (Pvt) Limited, ISACA Islamabad Chapter, National CERT (PKCERT), and National Cybercrime Investigation Agency (NCCIA), the two-day event brought together cybersecurity professionals, policymakers, and technology leaders under one roof. Day 1: Capture the Flag Challenge The event kicked off with Capture the Flag (CTF) challenge that was far from your typical red-vs-blue skirmish. In Round 1, participants were dropped into a simulated Smart City, complete with integrated municipal services and exposed web portals. This was followed by Round 2, which replicated a fully functional banking environment. The CTF tested real-world scenarios from web exploitation to cryptographic attacks, challenging even the most seasoned professionals. With 10 hidden flags and layers of complexity, teams pushed hard to detect, defend, and disarm vulnerabilities. A massive shoutout to the participants, winners, and technical support teams from Resecurity and PISA for contributing to the challenge. Day 2: Cybersecurity Leadership in Focus The second day shifted gears with a full-day conference featuring expert panels, government stakeholders, and private sector leaders, all centered around threat intelligence sharing and national cyber resilience. In my role representing HackerNoon, I had the privilege of attending and contributing to the discussions. It was inspiring to see the diversity of voices and alignment on one common goal: building a secure digital Pakistan. Ammar Jaffri, the visionary behind Digital Pakistan, kicked off the opening session by setting the tone for the day: collaboration, innovation, and nation-first cybersecurity. "To build a secure Digital Pakistan, we must move from reactive to proactive cybersecurity, fostering collaboration across public, private, and academic sectors. Cyber resilience isn’t just a technical goal; it’s a national priority. The Digital Pakistan Vision 2047 calls for a unified approach where intelligence sharing, local capacity building, and policy alignment go hand in hand to protect our digital future." — Director General at Center of Information Technology ( CIT ) Ammar Jaffri, Former Additional DG FIA & "To build a secure Digital Pakistan, we must move from reactive to proactive cybersecurity, fostering collaboration across public, private, and academic sectors. Cyber resilience isn’t just a technical goal; it’s a national priority. The Digital Pakistan Vision 2047 calls for a unified approach where intelligence sharing, local capacity building, and policy alignment go hand in hand to protect our digital future." — Director General at Center of Information Technology ( CIT ) Ammar Jaffri, Former Additional DG FIA & The Resecurity team delivered deeply technical and insightful talks on modern threat intelligence frameworks and AI-powered fraud detection. Taha Halabi and Abdullah Halabi stood out for their clear articulation of how real-time threat feeds and behavioral analytics can help preempt cyberattacks, particularly in sectors such as finance and critical infrastructure. Their sessions bridged global cybersecurity practices with practical, actionable solutions tailored to Pakistan's digital ecosystem. These talks were followed by an insightful keynote by Dr. Monis Akhlaq, Chief Information Security Officer at NADRA, which helped set the tone for the rest of the event. His address highlighted the critical role of cybersecurity in national data infrastructure, emphasizing the need for resilient systems, proactive threat intelligence, and a security-first mindset in public sector digital transformation. Panel Highlights Session 1: Critical Infrastructure Protection Moderated by Ammar Jaffri, this session focused on global best practices in securing critical systems. Insights came from: Dr. Monis Akhlaq (CISO, NADRA) Jahanzeb Arshad (EVP, Nayatel) Tahir Jamil (Deputy Director General) Dr. Khurram (NESCOM) Ikram Barkat (DG PEMRA) This powerhouse panel delved into the critical importance of cross-sector threat intelligence sharing and the integration of resilient IT and OT (Operational Technology) systems across essential services. Cyber threats are increasingly targeting critical infrastructure, including energy grids and telecommunications networks. The panel emphasized that true national cyber resilience requires seamless collaboration between government entities, private sector providers, and industrial control system operators. They emphasized the importance of adopting unified frameworks, real-time intelligence sharing, and robust incident response strategies to protect Pakistan’s most critical digital and physical assets. Session 2: Smart Cities & Cyber Threats Moderated by Dr. Hafeez, the panel included: Nargis Raza (Deputy Dir. NCCIA) Dr. Mazhar Ali (Associate Professor, COMSATS University) Mr. Raza Haider (Dir. CASS) Aamer Abbas (CEO, Wertec) Sidra Ijaz (Editor, ) HackerNoon Together, we explored the importance of securing critical infrastructure and citizen data in hyper-connected urban environments. A slight negligence can lead to disastrous consequences. As Nargis Raza, Deputy Dir. NCCIA pointed out: “Imagine if a critical facility like a thermal power plant were compromised. The consequences could be devastating from equipment failures to catastrophic explosions and widespread power outages. These plants operate under strict parameters like temperature and pressure, and even a slight disruption can have dangerous ripple effects. For instance, if steam pressure builds up beyond the design limits, it could trigger an explosion, leading to massive structural damage and potential loss of life.” ஒரு முதியவன் பாதாளங்களைத் தாண்டும் தன் மந்திரக்கோலால் சாய்த்தபடியிருக்கிறான் நாட்சத்திரங்களை. .............................................................................................................................................................................. இது எத்தனையாவது [...] ஒரு முதியவன் பாதாளங்களைத் தாண்டும் தன் மந்திரக்கோலால் சாய்த்தபடியிருக்கிறான் நாட்சத்திரங்களை. .............................................................................................................................................................................. இது எத்தனையாவது [...] மற்றும் இதற்கு எதிரான நடவடிக்கைகள் மற்றும் புதிய முயற்சிகள் தேவை. பொய்யான பொய்யான பொய்யான Adversary அணுகுமுறைகள் Next Topic: கதுவா: ஒரு குரூரமான குற்றம் எவ்வாறு அரசியல் மற்றும் மத சாயம் பூசப்பட்டது இந்த ஆலோசனை NACTA இல் இருந்து Hassan மேம்படுத்தப்பட்டிருந்தது, இந்த ஆலோசனை data-driven governance க்கு தேவையான frameworks and technologies பற்றி பேசப்பட்டது. பேச்சுவார்த்தைகள் : முஹம்மது நபி (ரலி) T.A. Bhutta (Cybersecurity Scholar) - கம்ப்யூட்டர் அறிவியலாளர் Tauqir Ahmed (Advisor, Strategic Analyst) – ஆஸ்திரேலியா MIDHAT SHAHZAD (Chief Secretary, AJK) தலைமைச் செயலாளர் ஆளை விடுங்கள்.3) Like in some countries such as Dubai, is there a possibility in India too, that there will be no income tax, someday?பதில்: எண்பதுகளில் வருமான வரி ஒழிக்கப்படும் என்ற மாதிரி ஒரு எண்ணம் வந்தது. பின்னர், T.A. Bhutta அழகாக பேட்டியின் அடிப்படையை ஒத்திவைத்தார்: “3 Cs: Cooperation, Coordination, Communication.3 As: Accountability, Awareness, Accessibility.And above all: Indigenous Development, Research, and Innovation.” 3C - Co-operation, Coordination மற்றும் Communication 3 As: Accountability, Awareness, Accessibility என்று அழைக்கப்படுகிறது. Next Topic: கதுவா: ஒரு குரூரமான குற்றம் எவ்வாறு அரசியல் மற்றும் மத சாயம் பூசப்பட்டு ஒற்றை பரிமாணமாக்கப்பட்டது ஆளை விடுங்கள்.3) Like in some countries such as Dubai, is there a possibility in India too, that there will be no income tax, someday?பதில்: எண்பதுகளில் வருமான வரி ஒழிக்கப்படும் என்ற மாதிரி ஒரு எண்ணம் வந்தது. பதிவிறக்கம் - Spies in the Bits and Bytes ஒரு முதியவன் பாதாளங்களைத் தாண்டும் தன் மந்திரக்கோலால் சாய்த்தபடியிருக்கிறான் நாட்சத்திரங்களை. .............................................................................................................................................................................. இது எத்தனையாவது [...] முடிந்த நினைவுகள் ஒரு முதியவன் பாதாளங்களைத் தாண்டும் தன் மந்திரக்கோலால் சாய்த்தபடியிருக்கிறான் நாட்சத்திரங்களை. .............................................................................................................................................................................. இது எத்தனையாவது [...]