PTBA urges FBR to adopt best practices for Iris portal security and digitalization

KARACHI: The Pakistan Tax Bar Association (PTBA) has urged the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to adopt best practices for the digitalisation process, bringing it in line with the standards of developed economies, in light of the recent updates regarding the expiry and required updating of the Iris password every 60 days.

In a letter addressed to the chairperson of the FBR, the tax body highlighted media reports about the mandatory expiry and update of the Iris password every 60 days.

While the PTBA acknowledges the concerns regarding the misuse and fraudulent activities on the Iris portal, including hackers submitting forged documents, which result in revenue loss and damage to the portal’s credibility, the association mentioned the challenges of implementing digitalisation in Pakistan. These challenges stem from low literacy levels and limited access to the internet, especially in rural areas and even on the outskirts of urban cities.

The tax body further noted that requiring the Iris password to be updated every two months would impose a hardship on businesses and raise operational costs. However, the PTBA suggested that international best practices to secure digital platforms, such as two-factor authentication (2FA) and multi-factor authentication (MFA), could be effective solutions.

2FA and MFA mechanisms restrict immediate access to the web portal until certain verification steps are completed. In the case of 2FA, for instance, users must enter a password and then verify their identity using an OTP received on their phone or through an authenticator app that generates a code. This method provides an added layer of security by protecting accounts from unauthorised access, even if the password is compromised.

In light of these points, the PTBA has requested the FBR chairperson to consider these best practices and implement them to improve the security of the Iris portal and enhance the country’s digitalisation process in line with global standards.