Nations prepare for cyber warfare by developing a national strategy, building a dedicated military cyber command, securing their critical infrastructure, fostering public-private partnerships, and engaging in cyber diplomacy.
As of September 7, 2025, the digital realm is a recognized domain of conflict. For a nation like Pakistan, preparing for cyber warfare is a core component of its national defense strategy, as critical as maintaining its army, navy, and air force.
1. Developing a National Cybersecurity Strategy
The foundation of a nation’s preparation is a clear, high-level strategy that defines its goals, priorities, and lines of authority in cyberspace.
- What It Is: A formal document, like Pakistan’s National Cyber Security Policy, that outlines the country’s approach to defending its digital assets. It identifies key risks, sets strategic objectives, and coordinates the efforts of all government ministries.
- Why It’s Critical: This strategy ensures a unified, whole-of-government approach, moving beyond ad-hoc responses to a coordinated national defense.
2. Building a Dedicated Cyber Command
Modern warfare requires a specialized fighting force for the digital domain.
- What It Is: A Cyber Command is a unified military command, like Pakistan’s Army Cyber Command, that is responsible for conducting both defensive and offensive cyber operations.
- Why It’s Critical: This command is responsible for:
- Defending all military networks and weapon systems from attack.
- Developing and executing offensive cyber operations to deter adversaries or to support conventional military actions during a conflict.
- Recruiting and training a new generation of “cyber warriors.”
3. Securing Critical National Infrastructure (CNI)
The most important defensive task is to protect the essential services that underpin the entire nation.
- What It Is: This involves identifying a nation’s CNI—its power grid, telecommunications, financial systems, and water supply—and implementing robust cybersecurity controls to protect them.
- Why It’s Critical: These are the primary targets in a cyber war. A successful attack on CNI can cause widespread physical disruption and chaos, crippling a nation without a single shot being fired.
4. Fostering Public-Private Partnerships
A government cannot defend a nation’s cyberspace alone, as the vast majority of it is owned and operated by the private sector.
- What It Is: This involves creating formal partnerships between government intelligence agencies and the private companies that run critical infrastructure, such as telecom providers and banks.
- Why It’s Critical: These partnerships are essential for threat intelligence sharing. A private company might see a new type of attack first, and through these trusted channels, they can share that information with the government, which can then warn other sectors of the economy.
5. Engaging in Cyber Diplomacy
Finally, a key part of preparing for cyber warfare is working to prevent it.
- What It Is: This is the use of diplomatic channels to establish international norms of behavior in cyberspace.
- Why It’s Critical: Through forums at the United Nations and other international bodies, nations, including Pakistan, are working to create “rules of the road” to reduce the risk of miscalculation and unintended escalation in the digital domain.