𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗘𝗥𝗧 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗟𝗮𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝗳 “𝗔𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗮” – 𝗣𝗮𝗸𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻’𝘀 𝗛𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗩𝗶𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗘𝗻𝘃𝗶𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁

𝗜𝘀𝗹𝗮𝗺𝗮𝗯𝗮𝗱, 𝗣𝗮𝗸𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻 – The National Cyber Emergency Response Team (National CERT) of Pakistan was invited to participate in the launch of Arena, the country’s first multi-tenant Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) and Virtual Training Environment Platform as a Service (PaaS). The initiative, pioneered by AirOverflow in collaboration with the Institute of Regional Studies (IRS) Islamabad, marks a significant milestone in advancing Pakistan’s indigenous cyber capabilities. The event brought together leaders from government, academia, and industry to deliberate on the urgent need for a coordinated national cybersecurity strategy.

Speaking at the event, Dr. Haider Abbas, TI (DG National CERT), commended AirOverflow for introducing a homegrown platform that aligns with the urgent need to strengthen Pakistan’s technological sovereignty. He emphasized that reducing reliance on foreign hardware and software is critical to building a secure and resilient national cyber ecosystem. On this occasion, he also announced the launch of the National Cyber Nest Program, aimed at equipping young graduates, researchers, and professionals with cutting-edge skills to enhance indigenous expertise.

In his keynote, Mr. Khurram Javed (Director Capacity Building), highlighted the importance of Arena in preparing cyber professionals not only for defensive strategies but also for understanding offensive tactics to counter adversaries effectively. He noted that true cyber resilience requires a holistic approach that combines both defensive and offensive preparedness.

National CERT remains committed to collaborating with academia, industry, and government stakeholders to foster innovation, capacity building, and a secure digital future for the country. The launch of Arena represents a promising step forward in achieving this shared vision.