KARACHI: One of the country’s largest payment gateways has denied reports, circulating on social media, that ATMs will remain closed for two to three days due to a cyberattack.

The clarification from 1LINK Limited, a consortium of major banks that own and operate the largest representative inter-bank network in the country, was issued after a message started making rounds on social media and shared on WhatsApp that ATMs would remain closed for two to three days due to a ransomware attack.

The message also warned people not to conduct any online transactions during the period. It claimed that this report was aired on BBC Radio.

However, BBC Urdu — the local arm of the British broadcasting network — has dismissed the claim. It said that the last transmission of BBC Urdu Radio in Pakistan was aired on Dec 31, 2022, and no reports of a cyberattack in the country were aired on BBC recently.

In the clarification issued on Sunday, 1LINK — which provides banking services like ATM switching, funds transfer and payment systems — advised the public not to pay any heed to such reports.

“Thus far, no cyber threat has been observed on the ATM and online banking ecosystem in this context, and the financial service industry remains vigilant as ever before,” the statement added.

“The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) is actively working with banks and 1LINK to maintain the security of Pakistan’s financial infrastructure and digital payments ecosystem, ensuring compliance with stringent IT and security guidelines.”

Published in Dawn, August 19th, 2024