PTA Initiates Tender for Advanced Internet Control Firewalls in Pakistan

To curb the spread of misinformation on social media and enhance cybersecurity, the Government of Pakistan has announced the implementation of advanced firewalls for internet service providers.

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has issued a call for bids to install next-generation firewalls (NGFW) and web application firewalls (WAF) over the next five years.

Next-Generation Firewalls from China

The PTA has designated Lot A for next-generation firewalls, sourced from China to ensure high security and reliability. These firewalls will come with a next business day (NBD) hardware warranty to minimize downtime and promptly address technical issues. Designed to detect and block social media accounts spreading false political propaganda, these firewalls aim to reduce the dissemination of misleading information.

Comprehensive Security Features

The hardware specifications for Lot A include:

• Advanced threat prevention services
• URL filtering
• Application control
• Advanced sandboxing with malware protection and analysis
• DNS security services
• Six virtual firewall systems with client and clientless VPN services

These firewalls will also include complete security bundles for comprehensive protection.

Web Application Firewalls

In Lot B, web application firewalls will be deployed to further enhance security by monitoring and filtering HTTP traffic to and from web applications. The hardware specifications for Lot B include:

• Minimum of 8 * 1GE RJ45, 4 * 1GE SFP, and 2 * 10GE SFP ports
• Redundant power supply and management ports

These WAFs will feature advanced load balancing and come with a five-year hardware warranty to ensure continuous, reliable protection.

Enhanced Capabilities of NGFWs

Next-generation firewalls offer sophisticated capabilities beyond traditional firewalls, including:

• Deep packet inspection
• Intrusion prevention systems (IPS)
• Application awareness and control

NGFWs can identify and block anti-state content in real-time, provide comprehensive network traffic visibility, and enforce security policies based on user identities and device types. They will also integrate with threat intelligence services to defend against emerging threats.

Advanced Protection with WAFs

Web application firewalls will provide robust protection by monitoring and filtering traffic to web applications, detecting and blocking threats such as SQL injection and cross-site scripting (XSS). These WAFs will offer detailed analytics and reporting, enabling the identification of attack patterns and the development of proactive defense strategies. They will safeguard sensitive data, ensure compliance with security standards, and enhance the security posture of web applications.

Bidding Process

The PTA has called for bids through the EPADS System of the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA), with a submission deadline of July 26. Agreements with internet service providers have been secured to install the firewalls, with costs shared between the companies and the government. When asked about the bid, the PTA spokesperson did not respond to queries.