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SECP Launches Security Operations Center to Strengthen Cybersecurity in Pakistan

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The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) has officially launched its Security Operations Center (SOC) to strengthen cybersecurity, protect critical information assets, and improve its ability to detect and respond to cyber threats.

The new facility was inaugurated in Islamabad on October 20 by National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) Chairman Lieutenant General Muhammad Munir Afsar, who appreciated SECP’s initiative and highlighted the growing importance of cybersecurity in protecting critical digital infrastructure.

SECP Chairman Dr. Kabir Ahmed Sidhu, Commissioners Imtiaz Haider, Muzzafar Ahmed Mirza and Zeeshan Khattak, along with other senior officials, attended the inauguration ceremony.

The Security Operations Center will continuously monitor SECP’s networks, servers, endpoints, and private cloud environments to identify potential security threats at an early stage. The initiative is expected to strengthen the Commission’s operational resilience and enable faster responses to cybersecurity incidents.

The project has been funded by Karandaaz Pakistan, which serves as the implementing agency for the UK Government’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). It has been enabled by Inara Technologies Pakistan, with cybersecurity support from REWTERZ under a Managed Security Services Provider agreement.

According to SECP, the facility will operate in accordance with recognized international cybersecurity standards and best practices.

SECP Plans Sector-Wide Cybersecurity Coordination

Beyond protecting its internal digital systems, SECP is also working toward a broader cybersecurity framework for Pakistan’s capital markets.

The regulator plans to integrate the Security Operations Centers of Capital Markets Institutions (CMIs) into a coordinated sector-wide system. The proposed framework would allow participating institutions to share threat intelligence and coordinate responses to cybersecurity incidents.

This initiative supports SECP’s envisioned role as a Sectoral Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) and Sectoral SOC, potentially improving how cybersecurity risks are identified and managed across the country’s capital markets.

During a separate meeting, SECP Chairman Dr. Kabir Ahmed Sidhu also briefed the NADRA Chairman on the Commission’s ongoing IT reforms, infrastructure modernization, and adoption of artificial intelligence and emerging technologies.

These technological improvements are intended to enhance service delivery, streamline regulatory processes, and facilitate ease of doing business.

The launch comes as financial regulators and institutions increasingly depend on digital systems to manage sensitive information and deliver services. By establishing a dedicated cybersecurity monitoring facility and planning greater coordination across capital market institutions, SECP aims to strengthen the security and resilience of Pakistan’s financial regulatory ecosystem.