PTA chairman confirms Pakistanis data available on dark web for Rs500

ISLAMABAD: Chairman of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), Major General (R) Hafeez-ur-Rehman, confirmed on Friday that the personal data of Pakistani citizens has been found on the dark web.

The revelation came during a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunication, chaired by Senator Palwasha Mohammad Zai Khan. The committee discussed recent media reports suggesting that a major data breach had occurred in the telecom sector.

“A report surfaced three weeks ago indicating that some Pakistani citizens’ data had appeared on the dark web. Upon verification, we found that personal data of Pakistani citizens was indeed available there,” the PTA Chairman informed the committee.

He disclosed that the leaked data includes copies of national identity cards (CNICs), travel history, and mobile SIM details.

Explaining the data structure, the PTA Chairman said that mobile SIMs data is not stored in a centralized database, but rather maintained separately by each telecom company.

Expressing concern over the breach, he remarked, “What’s alarming is how this scattered data ended up collectively on the dark web.”

He added that even the data of individuals who applied for Hajj had been compromised and is now available online.

“We are currently analyzing the leaked information to determine whether it is old data or part of a more recent breach,” he added. He also confirmed that the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) is actively investigating the matter.

Also read: IHC orders removal of PTA chairman Major General (R) Hafeez-ur-Rehman

The PTA Chairman revealed that a complete data profile of an individual can be purchased on the dark web for as little as Rs500.