ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Revenue’s official website was temporarily closed on March 23, 2022 for routine maintenance.
A message displayed on the FBR’s website on Wednesday said, “The site is down for routine maintenance. We will be back shortly.”
Later, the website was restored and became functional Wednesday evening. “The FBR website is fully operational now,” the FBR said.
However, the FBR officials categorically clarified that there was no cyber attack on the FBR’s website.
When contacted, a senior FBR official told Business Recorder that the FBR’s website was neither hacked nor was there any technical fault. The website was closed for routine maintenance on the public holiday of March 23. Usually, there are more chances of cyber attacks on August 14 and March 23. We are on the radar of the Indian hackers on these two public holidays, ie, August 14 and March 23.
To avert such attacks on public holidays, the website has been temporarily closed for routine maintenance. However, there is no problem, technical fault or any other issue, the official added.
The FBR’s website was hacked in the past on August 14, 2021.
On September 9, 2021, Federal Minister for Finance Shaukat Tarin on Thursday said Indian hackers had attacked the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR)’s website and similar kind of Indian attack also took place in 2019.
The finance minister informed the Senate Standing Committee on Finance that the attack on the FBR’s website came from the neighbouring country, (India). The same kind of attack took place in 2019 by the Indian hackers, he said.
He said such kinds of attacks would continue from our neighbouring country and we need a permanent solution. “Our neighbour is expert in doing such kinds of cyber-attacks,” he added.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022