The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) has launched a Security Operations Centre (SOC) to strengthen cybersecurity, detect potential threats at an early stage and improve its ability to respond to security incidents.
Lieutenant General Muhammad Munir Afsar, chairman of the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), inaugurated the facility and underscored the importance of cybersecurity in protecting critical information assets.
SECP Chairman Dr Kabir Ahmed Sidhu, Commissioners Imtiaz Haider, Muzzafar Ahmed Mirza and Zeeshan Khattak, along with other senior officials, attended the inauguration ceremony.
Continuous Monitoring of Critical Systems
The new Security Operations Centre will provide continuous monitoring of SECP’s networks, endpoints, servers and private cloud environments.
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The facility is designed to support early detection of cyber threats, timely incident response and stronger operational resilience across the regulator’s information systems.
The project was funded by Karandaaz Pakistan, acting as the implementing agency for the UK government’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). Inara Technologies Pakistan enabled the initiative, while REWTERZ is supporting the centre under a Managed Security Services Provider agreement.
According to the SECP, the centre will operate in line with recognised international standards and cybersecurity best practices.
SECP Highlights IT Modernisation
During a separate meeting, Sidhu briefed the NADRA chairman on the commission’s information technology reforms, infrastructure modernisation and adoption of artificial intelligence and emerging technologies.
The initiatives aim to improve service delivery, modernise regulatory processes and facilitate ease of doing business.
The meeting also provided an opportunity to discuss the role of technology in strengthening institutional capabilities and improving the delivery of public-facing services.
Plans for Sector-Wide Cybersecurity Coordination
The SECP also plans to integrate the Security Operations Centres of Capital Markets Institutions (CMIs) into a sector-wide framework.
The proposed framework would support threat intelligence sharing and coordinated responses to cybersecurity incidents across Pakistan’s capital markets.
The initiative forms part of the commission’s broader vision of taking on the role of a Sectoral Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) and Sectoral Security Operations Centre.
By improving coordination between the regulator and capital market institutions, the planned framework aims to strengthen collective preparedness against cyber threats and support the resilience of Pakistan’s financial markets.
