KARACHI: Hackers have stolen personal data from over two million Pakistani citizens, which was obtained from restaurant databases and put up for sale online, local media reported on Wednesday.
The hackers advertised the stolen data by showcasing sample photos, claiming to have accessed the customer databases of more than 250 restaurants, including credit card and mobile phone numbers. They demanded two Bitcoins in exchange for the data of millions of citizens.
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Cybercrime Circle disclosed that no formal complaint had been filed with the agency regarding the software breach. It was discovered that the hackers had distributed the details to various individuals through the dark web.
In a separate incident in August, security agencies uncovered an attempt to hack the mobile phones of senior government officials, aiming to extract sensitive information under the guise of senior officials.
The Prime Minister’s Office issued statements directing government officials to remain vigilant, avoid responding to irrelevant messages, and promptly inform the Cabinet Division upon receiving such messages.
It is pertinent to mention here that the Pakistani government yesterday had issued a cybersecurity advisory cautioning all information technology (IT) and financial institutions, including regulatory bodies, to avoid collaborating with, installing, or using artificial intelligence (AI) and information and communication technology (ICT) products of Indian origin.
Pakistan Issues Cybersecurity Alert to Avoid Personal Data Stealing
The government cybersecurity advisory cites a potential “constant, concealed, and force multiplier threat” to Pakistan’s critical information infrastructure (CII) posed by these products.
This advisory comes amid previous allegations that India had used cybersecurity vulnerabilities to spy on Pakistan and China. A US company, Exodus Intelligence, had claimed that India exploited “zero-day” vulnerabilities to gain deep access to Microsoft’s operating system. This incident led to India being cut off from purchasing new zero-day research from the company.
