Pakistan Takes a Step Towards Digital Innovation with Cloud First Policy

Pakistan Takes a Step Towards Digital Innovation with Cloud First Policy

Following the approval of the Cloud First Policy and the Personal Data Protection Bill, Pakistan has effectively taken a step towards digital innovation. The federal cabinet’s approval of the two bills is an effort to secure public and confidential data, as well as minimize the costs by streamlining operations and improving efficiencies. 

According to leading media outlets, the Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Syed Amin-ul-Haque said in a statement: “After this law is approved, the data centers of federal ministries and departments will be shifted to the central ‘Cloud’ and it will help reduce government expenditure, enhance data protection and increase the efficiency of online activities and services”. 

The biggest advantage of the Cloud First Policy will be the effective management of data of various government and autonomous bodies through a common platform. 
According to the Cloud First Policy, the Government of Pakistan has around 40 divisions with over 600 affiliate departments. There is also a multitude of provincial ministries and their affiliated departments across the country.
“The country is undergoing a digital revolution and it has taken numerous initiatives for providing ICT-based solutions,” the policy stated.

What Is The Cloud?

The cloud refers to the servers that are accessed over the internet and located in data centers all over the world rather than locally. Its use allows organizations and corporations to simultaneously cut costs and ensure data protection by using online software and databases instead of investing in data centers or managing physical servers.

Moreover, since cloud computing takes place on servers in a data center instead of the user's device, it allows users to access data from almost any device and location. 

What Is Cloud First Policy?

Many countries around the world, including the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia, have cloud-first policies in place, enabling different government departments to store public and critical data on cloud-computing platforms. 

The adoption of this policy not only allows governments to deliver services with more efficiency and transparency but also has the potential to improve services and lower the spending of taxpayer money.

The Province of Punjab has fully embraced the Cloud-First approach in its digital strategies. This alignment across provinces and the federation underscores their shared objective of leveraging cloud computing to unlock its full potential and benefits in the public sector. Recognizing the myriad advantages of a Cloud-First strategy, the Province of Punjab issues this Punjab Cloud-First Policy as a seamless continuation of the federally approved Pakistan Cloud-First Policy.

The benefits & key takeaways of cloud computing are:

1-Efficient (cost of) governance

Cloud computing reduces an organization’s IT expenditure due to the unique deployment and payment models it offers. Flexible scalability and the pay-as-you-go model of the cloud means that organisations only pay for what they really use, resulting in optimised IT spending. Additionally, the cloud also eliminates the need for procuring and maintaining IT infrastructure. In contrast, companies relying on legacy methods must invest upfront in IT infrastructure and pay for maintenance based on assumptions about expected growth. 

2-Improved Resilience, Flexibility, and Security

Data stored on the cloud is evenly distributed across servers in multiple locations and backed up continuously. As such, in the event that one server is damaged, another is instantly ready to take its place ensuring work continuity. In contrast, on-premise IT infrastructure does not offer fast-paced recovery and remote accessibility in the face of adversity unless enterprises make elaborate costly provisions for disaster recovery sites. For instance, during the pandemic remote work and business continuity could only be maintained thanks to cloud technology’s resilience and flexibility.

3-Enhanced collaboration

The cloud facilitates easy sharing of tools, platforms and applications across organisations. This reduces duplication of effort and products, allowing users from across time zones and geographical regions to work together.

4-Environmental Benefits & Compliance to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Moving to the cloud can reduce an organization's energy footprint by 80% as heavy on-site IT equipment does not need to be maintained anymore

5-Increasingly Future-ready

Cloud computing allows the adoption of advanced technologies like big data, artificial intelligence (AI), and Internet of Things (IoT) most of which are incompatible with legacy systems.

Classification of Data Under The Cloud First Policy In Pakistan

Based on its sensitivity and required level of security, the government has classified the data into five categories under the Cloud First Policy.

The categories include:
OPEN DATA
The data related to government transparency as well as public domain work.
PUBLIC DATA
The data related to the public interest that requires no authorization and is open to the public.

RESTRICTED DATA
The non-sensitive data related to public sector businesses, operations, and services.

CONFIDENTIAL DATA
The sensitive data and information that are not intended to be published but are accessible with certain authorization.

SECRET DATA
The data that is critical to the national interest, financial security, and public order.

Latest Developments and Response

Key developments that have materialized since the approval of the Cloud-First Policy are as follows:
●    An interim Cloud Office has been already created within the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication (MoITT) to kickstart cloud adoption under the PCFP. The Cloud Office is currently staffed by MoITT officials.
●    The Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) has been tasked by the Cloud Office to develop the regulatory framework for cloud services implementation in the public sector
●    All provinces, including Sindh – which initially cited apprehensions about the Cloud-First policy – have agreed to adopt a cloud-first policy. 

According to reports in prominent English newspapers, the Cloud First Policy emphasized the establishment of a "Cloud Board."

"The Cloud Board, chaired by the Secretary of IT, will include chief secretaries from the four provinces and two IT experts," stated the federal minister for information technology and telecommunication. "The Cloud Office will oversee the accreditation, quality, security, and IT affairs of Cloud Service Providers."

He noted that federal ministries, departments, and autonomous bodies previously operated separate data centers, straining the national treasury. However, these entities will now benefit from a shared platform that offers enhanced security at reduced costs.

Additionally, the federal cabinet's approval of the Personal Data Protection Bill aims to protect online data and personal information of citizens and businesses alike. The bill is pivotal in guiding how personal data is collected, processed, used, and disclosed, thus supporting the country's digital transformation.