Cyberattack on CDA Billing System: Hackers Demand Bitcoin Ransom

The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has been under cyberattack for three days as unidentified hackers breached its property and water billing system, demanding ransom in Bitcoin, according to reports from Dawn.

CDA’s data related to property and conservancy charges has been compromised, with hackers allegedly threatening to upload the information to the dark web unless the ransom is paid, sources revealed.

An official from the CDA revenue directorate stated that the attack began during June, a period when many residents settle property and tax obligations. “Our systems have been targeted for the past three days,” the official noted.

Efforts to restore the data involve the revenue directorate, CDA’s vendor NRTC, and the Information Technology Department. The official expressed optimism that the issue would be resolved by today.

Citizens reported difficulties in paying taxes due to inaccessible online payment links. While the CDA website remained operational, the “Pay your bills online” feature was unavailable until this report’s publication at 9pm on Thursday.

CDA manages data for residential and commercial properties in urban areas, including plots and tax records, while rural properties are handled by district revenue departments.

In 2024, Indian hackers breached the CDA website, uploading data to the dark web. The incident prompted the Prime Minister’s Office to intervene, leading CDA to engage a cybersecurity firm under a running contract to enhance digital security.

Officials confirmed that a cybersecurity firm had been hired following the 2024 breach. Another claim that CDA lacked backups for six months was denied by spokesperson Shahid Kiani, who assured all billing data was safely backed up.

“CDA is recovering billing data from secure backup servers to prevent losses,” Kiani stated. “Technical teams are actively working to restore the system, with full functionality expected soon.”

All prior online payments remain secure, processed via the 1-Link system or approved banking channels,” he added.

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