Police disclosed that hackers recently targeted the online system of the Islamabad Safe City Authority, causing it to go offline. The attack occurred two days prior to the revelation and prompted the shutdown of critical systems.
Hackers breached the primary server on Thursday, gaining access to sensitive data, particularly criminal databases. As a precautionary measure, servers controlling various systems were deactivated, including the Complaint Management System and Human Resources Management System.
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Despite having a firewall in place, designed to detect unauthorized access attempts, officials admitted to a lack of backup servers, leading to the immediate shutdown of affected systems.
Following the breach, the IT department disabled all logins to the impacted software and applications, which are vital for accessing servers and operational tools.
An officer clarified that the breach resulted from compromised login credentials due to the use of weak passwords. Additionally, outdated software and expired licenses further exacerbated the system’s vulnerability.
The affected system encompasses a wide range of services, including mobile applications, smart police vehicle records, and criminal databases.
While the Safe City camera management system operates independently and remains secure, all logins to other systems have been disabled for security reasons.
Police spokesperson Taqi Jawad confirmed the hacking attempt and stated that all logins have been disabled for the past forty-eight hours to update credentials, impacting access for many police personnel.
