Govt Staff Can Use VPNs Under One Condition

The National Cyber Emergency Response Team (National CERT) has instructed government personnel to utilize exclusively approved virtual private networks (VPNs) for accessing government systems remotely. This directive stems from the concern that direct exposure of government services to the internet may render them susceptible to cyber threats.

According to the National Cybersecurity Handbook 2026–27, government-approved VPNs establish secure connections for remote employees, effectively safeguarding data from unauthorized access and interception. The handbook emphasizes that staff should exclusively employ VPN services sanctioned by their respective departments, uphold robust login credentials, and terminate remote-access sessions promptly upon concluding official duties.

Employees have also been advised to reach out to their IT or cybersecurity teams should VPN connections become unstable or frequently drop. Utilization of unauthorized VPNs or proxy applications for official purposes is strictly prohibited. Moreover, the guidelines prohibit disabling antivirus software, firewalls, or other endpoint protection tools in an attempt to enhance VPN performance.

It is also strictly forbidden to leave VPN sessions unattended on unlocked devices or to share login credentials. Failure to adhere to these secure remote-access practices could potentially expose government networks to automated brute-force attacks, ransomware targeting internal servers, and persistent backdoors, which could facilitate prolonged espionage activities.

These guidelines are part of a larger framework of cybersecurity measures established for federal, provincial governments, and public-sector organizations. The story "Govt Staff Can Use VPNs Under One Condition" was initially published on ProPakistani.