KE suspends online services after cyber attack

Earlier this week news of the cyber attack on K-electric’s portal made rounds, which the ARY News reported to its audience, however, KE finally spoke up about the incident issuing a press statement.

According to its statement, It has “isolated few non-critical services”. As such customers may experience some disruption in accessing duplicate bills from the KE website, the statement read.

It admitted that customers may experience “some disruption in accessing duplicate bills” from the KE website.

Read: Cyberattack: K-Electric billing system shut down

However, the statement further read that all “critical customer services including bill payment solutions and 118 call-centre are operational”.

The hacking event on the portal was reported on Sept 7, according to which, the cyber attack on KE’s IT department had halted internal communication and links with banks, causing problems for the city’s sole electric supplier.

Read: KE’s IT department comes under cyber attack

A spokesperson for the power producer said that they lodged a complaint with the FIA about the hacking incident. “In a message, the hackers asked the K-Electric to contact them via the dark web,” he added.

The teams have “initiated consultation with international information security experts”, their statement read. It added that they are also collaborating with “local authorities in this regard”.

It was reported that KE could not issue electricity bills to its consumers in various region as its billing system became non-functional after the attack.

Read: K-Electric chairman resigns from his post; PSX apprised

In another development Chairman KE Riyadh S. A. A. Edrees resigned on Tuesday from his post following which the power company conveyed the decision to Pakistan Stock Exchange.

Riyadh S. A. A. Edrees was appointed chairman of the K-Electric in April this year, besides joining the KE Board in November 2005 at the time of privatization of the power company and acted as a Board member till May 2009. Edrees rejoined KE Board in July 2019.