In recent news, a major cyber-attack was reported on the government of Pakistan websites, as confirmed by the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication on Tuesday. However, no data breach has been reported. The IT ministry spokesperson while citing the Federal Minister for IT and Telecom Amin Ul Haque, commented that the cyber-attack attempt targeted the NTC system of the IT Ministry was foiled.
Websites of Several Departments Were Affected
There are websites of several departments on NTC servers, stated Haque, adding that the cyber-attack took place on Tuesday morning at 11:30 AM. The attack failed due to a comprehensive cyber security system, stated the minister, adding that due to the attack, the government of Pakistan websites of some departments were automatically suspended. All the government of Pakistan websites were back to normal within three hours, stated the minister.
The attack was not on the data center but on the networking side of the government of Pakistan websites, said Haque. According to a threat intelligence report, National Technology Council (NTC), Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL), Cybernet, and Multinet were the main targets. The Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication has summoned a meeting on Wednesday (tomorrow) and has asked for details from all departments of the government.
Data from Pakistani Financial Institutions Had Leaked in a Cyber Attack
Previously, according to Pakistan’s Finance Ministry, the official data about email communication with friendly countries and financial institutions had leaked in a cyberattack. The leaked data was further confirmed to be the official data of the Ministry of Finance having sensitive information about numerous critical subjects for Pakistan’s economy and security.
Read more: Official Data of Finance Ministry Gets Leaked in a Cyber Attack
