Bangladesh Bank Website Restored After Temporary Shutdown Over Cybersecurity Concerns

PNN News Desk | Dhaka

Bangladesh Bank's website, which had been temporarily shut down to address the risk of potential cyberattacks, has resumed operations. Arif Hossain Khan, executive director and spokesperson of the central bank, said the website had been accessible again from 8 a.m. on Sunday (October 25).

The website had been temporarily taken offline on Thursday (October 22) amid concerns about possible security vulnerabilities. According to officials concerned, the precautionary step was taken to reduce potential risks and provide an opportunity to review the website's security arrangements.

The central bank's spokesperson had previously said the website was temporarily shut down after urgent security considerations were taken into account. Measures were subsequently initiated to ensure adequate protection. Following a security review, the website was restored on Sunday morning.

International warnings about possible cyberattacks had been issued after two serious security vulnerabilities were identified in PHP, a widely used server-side programming language. Attackers could potentially exploit the weaknesses to execute unauthorised instructions on servers remotely. This could compromise the security of files, databases and other critical information stored on affected systems.

Amid these concerns, reports emerged that Bangladesh Bank and other websites built using PHP had introduced precautionary measures. Authorities have emphasised the importance of protecting online services by examining security vulnerabilities, applying necessary updates and assessing potential risks.

Although the decision to shut down Bangladesh Bank's website was prompted by concerns about possible cyberattacks, no confirmed information was available to establish whether the website had actually been attacked. In other words, temporarily taking a website offline as a precautionary measure is not the same as confirming that a successful cyberattack has occurred.

According to technology experts, a website does not automatically become vulnerable simply because it is built using PHP. The actual level of risk depends on several factors, including the software version in use, the installation of security updates, server configuration and other protective measures.

The restoration of the website has reinstated access to the central bank's online services. However, regular security updates and ongoing vulnerability assessments remain important to protect against similar cybersecurity threats in the future.