Thousands of cyberattacks blocked every month

1Link is blocking thousands of cyberattacks every month, according to an interview its technology chief gave The Express Tribune. Chief Digital and Technology Solutions Officer Azimullah Khan said the threat is growing as digital payments expand across Pakistan. His organisation supplies backend support to financial institutions, so the defences protect a wide network.

Khan said the firm is set to process 12 billion transactions in 2026, which equals more than 300 a second, with a value that could top Rs90 trillion. These flows run through 42 banks, 22 affiliates, 1,306 government bodies and over 22,000 ATMs. Although attacks are constant, he said no hacker has breached the system during the 22 years it has operated.

He added that AI-powered agents have started to attempt intrusions alongside human hackers, while most attempts come from overseas and Pakistani attackers are comparatively few. The company checks device fingerprints to flag when a user's phone has changed, and applies 3D Secure technologies to protect online purchases. 1Link began 22 years ago at the State Bank's initiative as an ATM switching provider and has since grown into a full digital banking platform.