PROTECT Lab
Introduction
The PROTECT Lab (Platform for Research on Emerging Technologies in Cybersecurity and Threats) has been established to foster cross-disciplinary collaboration and deliver innovative solutions in the dynamic field of cybersecurity. The lab actively partners with leading industrial organizations across Pakistan to address real-world challenges of national significance.
Our research focuses on critical domains such as Cyber Threat Intelligence, Advanced Persistent Threats (APT), Smart City Governance, Blockchain Security, and Distributed Systems Protection.
Through strategic collaborations with NCCS (National Centre for Cyber Security) and Trillium Information Security Systems (TISS), the lab has amplified its national impact. These partnerships facilitate the exchange of expertise, resources, and ideas, empowering our researchers to push the boundaries of cybersecurity innovation. Supported by NCCS funding, PROTECT Lab continues to expand its research scope, initiate ambitious projects, and drive meaningful technological advancements.
Core Research Areas
- Cyber Threat Intelligence
- Critical Infrastructure Security
- Applications of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence in Cybersecurity
- Blockchain Security and Privacy
- Smart City Governance
- Internet of Things (IoT) Security
Current Projects
Cyber Threat Intelligence
This project aims to develop algorithms and techniques that can be integrated into threat intelligence platforms as plugins to provide actionable cybersecurity insights. The objective is to enhance Pakistan’s cybersecurity resilience by increasing the number and quality of intelligence sources—empowering sectors such as banking, healthcare, and telecommunications to better safeguard critical infrastructure.
Threat Gator — Intelligence from Social Media
Social media platforms like Twitter, Reddit, and blogs are rich sources of real-time threat intelligence. However, the data is often unstructured and requires extensive manual processing.
PROTECT Lab proposes an automated framework that leverages fine-tuned BERT models for Named Entity Recognition and Relationship Extraction, converting unstructured threat data into STIX (Structured Threat Information Expression) format. This enables the transformation of social media content into standardized, machine-readable intelligence for improved threat detection and response.
ISO27K1 Automation
The ISO27K1 Toolkit revolutionizes security audits by automating compliance workflows and risk assessments. It supports standards such as ISO 27001, NIST-SP 800-53, and PCI DSS, offering:
- Automated asset inventory and risk treatment
- AI-driven chatbot support for standard access
- Comprehensive, automatically generated reports
This tool significantly reduces manual effort, enhances accuracy, and ensures efficient cybersecurity governance.
A Zero-Trust Framework for Secure Remote Access
Traditional VPNs often face limitations in performance, latency, and security, particularly for industrial and healthcare applications. PROTECT Lab’s Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) framework offers a UDP-based, high-speed, and secure remote access solution.
Key features include:
- Centralized management adaptable to diverse network environments
- Strong authentication and minimal trust design
- Enhanced agility and resilience for mission-critical systems
This Zero Trust model ensures efficient, secure, and scalable access for modern industrialized networks.
Photo Gallery
Images from previous years:
Research Group Members
Dr. Muhammad Asim
Head
Dr. Qaiser Shafi
Mr. Abdullah Abid
Mr. Mehmood ul Hassan
For queries, please contact:
Niaz.Ahmed@nu.edu.pk
(+92 51) 111 128 128 x1234