Islamabad, Mar 3, 2025: A preliminary report on the cyberattack targeting Ignite’s website has been submitted to senior officials, uncovering several inconsistencies in the documented details of the breach.
Discrepancies have emerged regarding the precise timing of the intrusion, its duration, and the process of restoring the website, raising doubts about the accuracy of the reported sequence of events.
According to the official summary, an unknown hacker gained control of Ignite’s website on February 10, 2025, at 6:30 PM. The website’s hosting provider detected the unauthorized access within 10 minutes, and the site was fully restored within the next 10 minutes.
However, the incident timeline contradicts this account, stating that the hacker initially breached the system at 5:30 PM. Security monitoring tools reportedly flagged the unauthorized activity at 6:35 PM, prompting the cybersecurity team to shut down the site at 6:40 PM.
The website was eventually restored from a backup at 6:46 PM, suggesting a longer disruption than initially stated. Further investigations indicate that multiple hackers from different regions were involved in the attack.
Traced IP addresses link the intrusion to sources in the United Kingdom, Italy, Poland, and Singapore. Preliminary findings suggest that the attackers exploited a vulnerability in the content management system to gain access to the site.
While the hackers reportedly attempted to retrieve sensitive information, it remains uncertain whether any data was successfully compromised. The website remained offline for approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes before being fully operational again.
Despite the severity of the attack, the report asserts that there was no financial damage or ransom demand from the perpetrators. Ignite has reassured that necessary security enhancements are being implemented to prevent similar breaches in the future.
The organization is actively coordinating with the National Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) to strengthen its cybersecurity infrastructure. Existing security measures, including firewall upgrades, are being reinforced to mitigate potential threats.
Acknowledging the evolving nature of cyber risks, Ignite remains committed to continuously improving its defense mechanisms. The investigation into the breach is ongoing, with further updates expected as more details come to light.
