By Zainab Shafiq 
The Government of Pakistan is taking significant steps to enhance its cybersecurity infrastructure and control false propaganda on social media by installing advanced firewalls. The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has initiated a bid process for next-generation firewalls (NGFWs) and web application firewalls (WAFs), aiming to implement these systems over the next five years.
Next-generation firewalls, categorized as Lot A, will be sourced from China, known for their high security and reliability. These firewalls come with a hardware warranty that ensures next business day (NBD) service. Equipped with advanced threat prevention services, URL filtering, application control, and sophisticated sandboxing for malware protection, these firewalls are designed to offer comprehensive security.
They will also include advanced DNS security services, six virtual firewall systems, and both client and clientless VPN services. The NGFWs will perform deep packet inspection, intrusion prevention, and provide application awareness and control. They will identify and block anti-state content in real-time, ensuring comprehensive visibility into network traffic and enforcing security policies based on user identities and device types. Additionally, they integrate with threat intelligence services for proactive defense.
Lot B consists of web application firewalls to monitor and filter HTTP traffic to and from web applications. These WAFs will feature multiple port configurations, including 8 * 1GE RJ45, 4 * 1GE SFP, and 2 * 10GE SFP ports, with redundant power supply and management ports. They will offer advanced load-balancing features and come with a five-year advanced hardware warranty. WAFs will protect against cyber threats such as SQL injection and cross-site scripting (XSS), providing detailed analytics and reporting capabilities to identify attack patterns and develop proactive defense strategies.
The PTA has called for bids through the EPADS System of the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA), with the last date for bid submission set for July 26. The cost of the firewall installation will be shared by internet service providers and the government. This initiative marks a significant step toward bolstering Pakistan’s cybersecurity and curbing the spread of false information on social media.
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