# PTA found 326 cyber threats against Pakistan on the dark web, 174 of them defacements

Source: Searchable (https://searchable.pk/news/technology/pta-found-326-cyber-threats-against-pakistan-on-the-dark-web-174-of-them)
Type: News article
Author: Searchable Editorial
Published: 29 Oct 2026
Updated: 29 Oct 2026
Retrieved: 29 Oct 2026

> PTA's Cyber Security Annual Report 2025-26 counts 87 data leaks and 41 DDoS threats aimed at Pakistan's digital infrastructure. Here is what it found and how to protect yourself.

The **Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA)** detected **326 cyber threat indicators** aimed at Pakistan on dark web forums and illegal marketplaces between July 2025 and June 2026, according to its Cyber Security Annual Report 2025-26, Business Recorder reported on Thursday.

## The 326 threats, by type

| Threat | Count | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Website defacement | 174 | 53% |
| Data leaks | 87 | 27% |
| DDoS (denial of service) threats | 41 | 13% |
| Sensitive data offered for sale | 24 | 7% |

Website defacement, where attackers replace a site's pages with their own message, was the most common. Data leaks were second: 87 cases where information from Pakistani organisations surfaced on dark web forums.

## How PTA found them

The monitoring was done by PTA's **National Telecommunications Security Operations Centre (nTSOC)**. It watches dark web forums, illegal marketplaces, commercial threat intelligence platforms and open sources, and cross-checks what it finds against other threat feeds to decide what needs investigation.

The report says these threats put the telecom sector and the country's critical information infrastructure at risk. It also tracked blocking of URLs, apps and social media accounts: flagged URLs and accounts spiked in **September 2025** and then fell, while social media blocking stayed above URL and app blocking for most of the year.

## What you can do

The report does not give advice to the public, but the risk from a leak is clear: your number, CNIC and email can end up in a scammer's hands. Simple steps:

- **Use a different password** for email, banking apps and social media, and turn on two-step verification.
- **Never share an OTP** with a caller claiming to be from a bank, PTA or a mobile company.
- **Check which SIMs are registered on your CNIC** and block any you do not recognise; our guide shows how: [check SIMs on your CNIC](/guides/telecom/how-to-check-sims-registered-on-your-cnic-668-sms-and-cnicsimspk).
- **Report cyber fraud** to the FIA's cybercrime wing (now the NCCIA) instead of paying anyone who threatens to leak your data.

## Frequently asked questions

**How many cyber threats did PTA find on the dark web in 2025-26?**

326 threat indicators between July 2025 and June 2026: 174 website defacements, 87 data leaks, 41 DDoS threats and 24 cases of sensitive data offered for sale.

## Sources

- PTA detects 326 cyber threats on Dark Web, website defacement tops list (Business Recorder): https://www.brecorder.com/news/40446488/pta-detects-326-cyber-threats-on-dark-web-website-defacement-tops-list

How to cite: "PTA found 326 cyber threats against Pakistan on the dark web, 174 of them defacements", Searchable, 29 Oct 2026, https://searchable.pk/news/technology/pta-found-326-cyber-threats-against-pakistan-on-the-dark-web-174-of-them