KE ransomware: Hackers threaten confidential data leak as deadline ends today

KARACHI: The deadline given by the hackers who laid siege to the K-Electric website via ransomware ends on Monday after over 20 days since the hack was materialized, ARY News reported.

The hackers have threatened data leak, to the power distribution company of Karachi, if the ransom demanded is not paid. They said that the confidential documents will be made public if the money demanded is not furnished by the sole distributor before the deadline ends.

The hacker demanded $38 million from KE to let go of the website siege which has been affected since Sept 7. A number of website functions, including their correspondence with the banks, their internal communication and emails, are to date disabled.

KE, responding to the queries by media, earlier admitted its system was hacked and that it sought help from international experts and cybersecurity companies to reclaim and salvage it website from hacker’s clutches.

Hackers demand $38 million from KE to restore its system

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

According to KE, customers may experience some disruption in accessing duplicate bills from the KE website, however, all the call centres are operational for any correspondence.

The hackers had firstly given a deadline of September 15 to K-Electric to pay the amount failing which, they threatened, the amount for the restoration of the portal would double.

On Sept 8, the KE said that it could not issue electricity bills to its consumers in various region as it billing system became non-functional after the attack.

A spokesperson for the KE 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 dark web, he added.

It is pertinent to note that the KE website and IT department had been a target of hacking and breach two years ago in August as well.