NBP says it is safe from recent cyber attacks

ISLAMABAD: The customers and clients of the National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) are safe from any vulnerability of recent cyber attacks and the customers are duly protected from all potential loss.

According to a press release issued on Wednesday, NBP’s customer data was fully secured as per local and international standards.

The bank was also working in close coordination with the State Bank of Pakistan for protecting the data of its clients and customers in future too, it added.

The clarification came after a racket of international professional hackers reportedly  stole thousands of customers’ data of Pakistani commercial banks and sold it into Poland, Estonia and some other countries, raising fears that those making banking transactions from abroad through credit cards and ATMs would be deprived of their hard-earned money.

Pakistan has also decided to take up the issue with all those international channels as Visa card was also misused for hacking the data of thousands of customers. 

The government convened an emergency meeting here where the Governor SBP Tariq Bajwa also participated in which it was decided that all precautionary measures would be taken to avoid this financial fraud as early as possible.

One top official of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) confirmed to The News on Tuesday that after surfacing of financial scam into the Islamic bank, the central bank gave directives to all banks to enhance due diligence to protect customers.

The SBP has divided all banks operating in Pakistan into three main categories as there are banks including the largest commercial bank of the country where all safety protocols were in place and there was nothing to worry about.

 In the second category of banks, information technology was in place, but these banks were asked to verify strength of their systems so they were put into risk-prone category. All such banks have suspended their operations from abroad and they advised their customers to inform the banks prior to their departure if they wanted to use their credit cards and ATM cards in foreign countries.