FBR data hacking: Govt hires services of Irish company

ISLAMABAD: The government has hired the services of an Irish company as third party for scrutinising damages caused by hackers’ cyber attack on the FBR’s data and placement of all required safety protocols to avoid occurrence of such an episode in future.

Top official sources confirmed to The News Wednesday that the FBR’s data centre was closed down as they had scrutinised 100 percent data till Wednesday. When inquired from Federal Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin about rumours that the FBR’s hacked data was being sold on the dark web, he replied that it was not true. He said the government had hired an Irish company as a third party to scrutinise data centre of the FBR and place all required safety protocols to avoid occurrence of such happenings in future.

He said he would never allow the use of pirated software during his tenure as finance minister and would ensure all registered software should be used to avoid compromising the safety of data. “An Irish company as well as Tania Aidrus has been assigned to scrutinise FBR’s data centre and suggest ways and means to ensure full-fledged safety protocols,” he added.

The minister said the FBR had recovered 90 percent data till Tuesday and 100 percent was recovered till Wednesday. But there is a need to analyse safety protocols that no breach occurs in future, he maintained.

However, the sources said the World Bank’s funding for Pakistan raised revenues to the tune of $400 million was available but it proves non- starter so far as its component of $80 million for upgradation of IT infrastructure remained un-utilised. The WB’s PRR was so far stalled and the newly-appointed FBR Chairman Dr Ashfaque Ahmed will have to focus to achieve all deliverables.