Islamabad: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has announced strict legal consequences, including imprisonment, for tax officers or officials found guilty of unauthorized access, tampering, or copying of taxpayer data classified as “Critical Infrastructure.”
In a directive issued to field formations on Tuesday, the FBR stated that the Cabinet Division has officially approved the classification of its IT infrastructure as “Critical Infrastructure” under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016. This move aims to strengthen security measures and prevent potential breaches of FBR’s systems.
Strict Punishments for Unauthorized Access With this new classification, FBR’s data centers, applications, and systems hosting taxpayer data are now protected under PECA 2016, making any unauthorized interference a serious offense. Under Chapter-II of PECA, violators could face imprisonment, heavy fines, or both if found guilty of accessing, copying, or tampering with this classified information.
The FBR has emphasized that any damage, leakage, or misuse of taxpayer data will result in legal action against the responsible individuals. The directive serves as a clear warning to all tax officers and officials handling sensitive data.
FBR Strengthens Cybersecurity Measures Following this decision, FBR has instructed all relevant authorities to implement enhanced security protocols to protect taxpayer data and IT infrastructure. These measures align with the government’s broader strategy to strengthen cybersecurity, prevent data breaches, and ensure the confidentiality of financial records.
Samra Zulfiqar, a real estate analyst at Zameen.com, is passionate about finding projects that offer buyers the best returns. Her keen insights spotlight the market’s most promising opportunities.
