Hackers stole data from 'almost all' banks: FIA.

Byline: Imran Mukhtar

ISLAMABAD -- In one of the country's biggest breach of data of commercial banks, hackers have stolen online data containing details of citizens' accounts and depriving many of large amounts of money from almost all Pakistani banks, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) said on Tuesday.

Director FIA's Cyber Crime Wing Capt (r) Mohammad Shoaib disclosed that hackers have stolen data from 'almost all' Pakistani banks in a recent breach of banks' security systems. FIA has registered 100 cases in the light of citizens' complaints and some arrests have been made in this regard, he said.

'We ourselves are analysing the complaints and hacked data as banks have not reported to us,' FIA director said while talking to a private TV channel. He said the matter of concern was that banks used to hide such type of frauds and it was their customers who report to the Cyber Crime Wing. 'We have noticed that data of almost all major banks of the country has been compromised,' he said, adding that hackers based outside Pakistan were involved in this security breach.

Capt (r) Muhammad Shoaib said that FIA had written a letter to all banks in this regard and a meeting comprising representatives of all banks was being summoned to look into the matter. The meeting will look into the weaknesses of security systems of banks to avoid such online breaches in future.

The official said that banks were responsible to protect money of their clients and he held responsible the banks for weak security features that allowed the hacker to breach their systems.

The director said FIA had arrested a gang of fraudsters who impersonated themselves as army personnel and got secret details from the customers about their bank accounts. Later, they fraudulently used the information to withdraw money from their bank accounts. He said that the data of Bank Islami was breached recently.

According to some digital security websites, data of some 8,000 accounts had been sold to hackers' market. Recently, around 10 banks have blocked all international transactions on their cards after reports were circulated that their data had been hacked. Banks have also brought into the notice of State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) about their decision to block international transactions international payments on debit and credit cards.

Next day, the SBP issued directives to all banks to ensure that security measures on all information technology systems including those related to card...