The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has initiated a tender for the deployment of advanced firewalls aimed at curbing the spread of false propaganda on social media and enhancing cybersecurity. The government plans to roll out next-generation firewalls (NGFW) and web application firewalls (WAF) across internet service providers over the next five years.
According to the PTA’s bid invitation, Lot A, which includes the next-generation firewalls, will be sourced from China to ensure high security and reliability standards. These firewalls will come with a hardware warranty that provides next business day (NBD) service, minimizing downtime and addressing any technical issues promptly. The firewalls are designed to identify and block social media accounts spreading false political propaganda against state institutions, thereby reducing the dissemination of misleading information.
Lot A’s hardware specifications include advanced threat prevention services, URL filtering, application control, advanced sandboxing with malware protection and analysis services, advanced DNS security services, and six virtual firewall systems with client and clientless VPN services. These firewalls will also come with complete existing security bundles to provide comprehensive protection.
The NGFWs will offer sophisticated capabilities surpassing those of traditional firewalls, such as deep packet inspection, intrusion prevention systems (IPS), and application awareness and control. They will be able to identify and block anti-state content in real-time, provide comprehensive visibility into network traffic, and enforce security policies based on user identities and device types. Additionally, the NGFWs will integrate with threat intelligence services to proactively defend against emerging threats and adapt to the evolving cybersecurity landscape.
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Lot B includes web application firewalls with specifications such as a minimum of 8 * 1GE RJ45, 4 * 1GE SFP, and 2 * 10GE SFP ports with redundant power supply and management ports. These WAFs will feature advanced load-balancing capabilities and come with a five-year hardware warranty to ensure continuous and reliable protection.
The WAFs will provide advanced protection by monitoring and filtering traffic to and from web applications. They will detect and block cyber threats like SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), and other vulnerabilities that hackers exploit. Additionally, they will offer detailed analytics and reporting capabilities, enabling the identification of attack patterns and the development of proactive defense strategies. These features will safeguard sensitive data, ensure compliance with security standards, and enhance the overall security posture of web applications.
The PTA has called for bids through the EPADS System of the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA). The deadline for bid submission is July 26. The PTA has also secured agreements with internet service providers to install the firewalls, with the cost to be shared between the companies and the government. The PTA spokesperson did not respond to queries regarding the bid.
