Bangladesh Bank spokesperson and Executive Director Arif Hossain Khan has said that no bank websites in the country have been hacked and that banking transactions currently face no security risk.
Speaking to the national news agency BSS on Sunday, October 25, Arif Hossain Khan said banks that had temporarily shut down their websites as a precaution would restore services soon after ensuring their security.
Bangladesh Bank’s official website was taken offline last Thursday amid concerns about possible cyberattacks. It reopened at 8am on Sunday, three days later.
Internet banking and mobile banking transactions continued normally during the three-day shutdown, and customers did not face any transaction-related problems, according to the central bank spokesperson.
Arif Hossain Khan said the website had been examined for potential vulnerabilities and that the decision to take it offline was prompted by concerns about possible attacks worldwide. The website was restored after the perceived risk had subsided, he added.
The development comes amid growing global cybersecurity concerns following the discovery of two serious security vulnerabilities in PHP, a programming language widely used to develop and operate websites.
The internet and software have become essential to government services, banking, e-commerce, news organisations and numerous online platforms. A significant portion of these websites relies on PHP, making the vulnerabilities a concern for organisations worldwide.
Governments and commercial institutions in several countries reportedly took urgent precautionary measures after the vulnerabilities came to light. From Wednesday night, websites operated by various government agencies and businesses around the world were taken offline amid concerns about potential cyberattacks.
Media reports have also indicated that millions of hacking attempts were made despite the precautionary measures.
