PTA Flags 586 Malicious Online Sources in Cybersecurity Report

Pakistani internet users continue to face rising risks from fraudulent websites, malicious mobile applications and fake social media accounts designed to steal personal information or trick people into online scams, according to the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority's Cyber Security Annual Report 2025-26.

The regulator said it identified and processed 586 malicious online sources between July 2025 and June 2026. These included 152 harmful website links, 48 dangerous mobile apps and 386 suspicious social media accounts and pages, making social media the single largest source of detected threats during the period.

According to the report, many of the identified threats involved fake websites, impersonation, phishing scams and the spread of harmful online content. Such schemes typically involve criminals posing as legitimate individuals or organizations in order to deceive internet users, with phishing attacks built to coax people into revealing sensitive information through fake messages, websites or other channels.

The authority said the threats were detected through its National Telecom Security Operations Centre, which continuously monitors online activity for suspicious websites, accounts and applications. The monitoring extends across the regular internet and social media platforms as well as less accessible parts of the internet, including deep web and dark web forums, with the aim of identifying risks before they can harm citizens, government organizations or telecom infrastructure.

PTA noted that September 2025 recorded the highest number of malicious sources detected during the reporting year. The regulator said it has strengthened its systems for identifying and analyzing online threats, as fake links, harmful apps and impersonation accounts remain a persistent challenge for users across the country.