Islamabad Safe City online system disabled after hacking attempt

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad Safe City Authority’s online system was taken offline following a hacking attempt, as reported by police officials familiar with the incident on Saturday.

Officials revealed that the attack occurred two days prior, leading to the system’s shutdown, Dawn News reported on Sunday.

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Hackers breached the main server on Thursday, accessing critical data and records, including those related to criminal databases. In response, servers managing the Complaint Management System, Criminal Management Record System, Human Resources Management System, and various operational software and applications were immediately disabled.

The system’s firewall is designed to alert authorities to any unauthorised access attempts. However, there was no backup or alternative server to keep the software and applications running, necessitating their shutdown, according to the officials.

Subsequently, the IT department of the authority disabled all logins to the software and applications. These logins are essential for accessing different servers and operational software.

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An officer noted that this was not a standard hacking incident; rather, it involved the exposure of login IDs and passwords due to the use of simple, easily guessed credentials by officials. Many of the system’s software and applications were outdated, with expired licenses, further increasing vulnerability.

The affected system includes a wide range of services such as mobile applications, smart police vehicle records, police station data, video analytics, Islamabad Traffic Police operations, e-challan data, and criminal records.

The Safe City camera management system, which operates on independent lines, remains secure as it is offline and cannot be penetrated without valid credentials.

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When contacted, police spokesperson Taqi Jawad confirmed the hacking attempt and stated that the firewall issued an alert, prompting the closure of all logins as a precaution. He explained that all logins have been disabled for the past two days to update the credentials, affecting access for various police personnel.

Jawad did not provide a clear answer regarding the shutdown of specific servers and applications, citing the need to consult with relevant officers.