Latest news with #ITDepartment
Yahoo
08-06-2025
- Yahoo
In wake of Good Friday cyberattack, city of Abilene replacing all desktops, laptops
The city of Abilene is still in recovery mode after a cyberattack from foreign hackers was discovered over six weeks ago, city officials said in a statement Monday. Recovery efforts mean replacing the city's network infrastructure including all desktops and laptops. Hackers encrypted and deleted city data in the ransomware attack, demanding the city ante up to get its information back, according to the statement. The city has no intention of paying a ransom. On April 18, city officials detected that city servers were unresponsive and began investigating the outage, city officials said in the statement. After the city's information technology department determined a foreign actor had compromised the city computer systems, the full network was shut down around 7 a.m. April 18 to prevent any further intrusion or data loss, the statement said. 'They encrypted data and deleted data off our servers," Troy Swanson, IT director, said. Swanson said the hacking group compromised the city's network and accessed administrative credentials. They also attempted to uninstall antivirus software and remove other protective measures. The city was given a deadline of May 27 to pay a ransom to restore the stolen data, an estimated 477 gigabytes. According to the statement, 477 gigabytes is equivalent to around 238.5 million pages of PDFs or 48 hours of 4K streaming on Netflix. A article noted that Russia-based ransomware group Qilin claimed responsibility for the cyberattack, the Abilene Reporter-News reported May 20. Qilin 'runs a ransomware-as-a-service business in which affiliates pay to use Qilin's malware to launch attacks and collect ransoms,' the May 19 Comparitech article said. In city officials' statement Monday, they stated communication was made with the suspect hacking group claiming responsibility to understand the nature of the information taken. The city statement did not name Qilin. City officials determined they will not aid or abet the perpetrators otherwise and will not pay the ransom, the statement said. The city statement on Monday did not state the dollar amount of the ransomware the hackers sought. More: The city of Abilene says it will not pay ransom to cyberattackers 'I was involved in the acquisition of our cyber insurance because of my role in overseeing risk management,' Mike Perry, director of the city's office of professional standards, said. 'Fortunately for us, we increased our insurance coverage last year.' Perry has assisted in the investigation with his background in law enforcement and in his role as a city administrator to work with the cybersecurity team hired by the city's insurance company to mitigate damage and help with recovery efforts, the statement said. When threat actors attack a network, Perry said they encrypt data so it's hidden from the entity it belongs to. Then perpetrators ask for a ransom to unencrypt and recover the data. While the data may be valuable, 'we're also not going to bow down to a criminal organization' as there is no guarantee the data will be recovered or not sold on the "Dark Web," said Perry, who was an Abilene assistant chief of police for 12 years. As of May 28, there have been no indications Abilene's information has been misused or residents' information has been used or released, Perry said. He said the amount of data taken appears to be relatively small compared to the city's total storage capacity. 'We're currently in this pattern of waiting to see if and when they're going to publish the data,' Perry said. 'There's not a lot more dialogue to be had because we've told them we're not going to pay the ransom.' The investigation is ongoing and the exact information taken by the hackers is unclear, Perry said. City employees and Abilene residents are asked to actively monitor their credit card and other accounts for data breaches and to report anything suspicious, the statement said. As network functionality is restored, the city will release periodic updates until all functions and points of access are fully operational, the city statement said. Information will be released by the city as needed and with limits to ensure the ongoing investigation is not compromised, the city statement said. Swanson said staff are in the process of replacing all network infrastructure, including servers, storage, phones, desktops and laptops. They were able to restore core services quickly after the attack. "By doing so, we will create a new cyber secure environment that we can assure is set up for the future and not able to be compromised," he said. The main push has been to supply city employees with desktops and laptops so they can perform their functions, Swanson said. There have been interim measures taken so employees can perform work, he said. While there still will be hurdles to overcome, residents and employees should expect the majority of day-to-day functionality to be restored soon, he said. The city hopes to be fully functioning in a few months, Swanson said. Citing the cyber attack discovered April 18, the city of Abilene filed a catastrophe notice and then an extension to enable it to temporarily suspend the requirement to provide public information under state law, according to a Texas Attorney General's Office database. In total, local officials tapped into a state measure allowing the city to forego responding to citizens' open records requests from April 22 through May 5, according to an April 29 report from ARN. Cyberattacks are an ongoing threat in the digital landscape and have become a new type of emergency which organizations must endure, Swanson said. Cities and municipalities recently affected by cyberattacks include the Texas cities of Mission, Richardson and Killeen, city officials said. Other cities targeted by cyber attacks include Baltimore, Maryland; Cleveland, Ohio; White Lake Township, Michigan; Arkansas City, Kansas; and El Cerrito, California, city officials said. Early or on Election Day: What to know about voting in Abilene City Council runoff race Development Corporation of Abilene seeks approval for $3.5 million Project Surf incentive This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: City of Abilene in full network shutdown after cyber attack, ransom demand
India.com
30-05-2025
- Business
- India.com
Filing ITR-1 Or ITR-4? Excel Utilities Are Out—Check Eligibility And What's New This Year
New Delhi: Good news for taxpayers! The Income Tax Department has made the Excel utilities for ITR-1 and ITR-4 available for Assessment Year 2025–26. These can now be downloaded from the official portal to help you prepare your return for the financial year 2024–25. The IT Department posted on X, 'Attention taxpayers! The Excel Utility for ITR-1 and ITR-4 for AY 2025-26 has been enabled and is now available for taxpayers.' The update follows the extension of the ITR filing deadline to September 15, 2025. It gives taxpayers extra time to file their returns. The extension was announced due to updates in ITR forms, technical improvements on the portal and the need to correct TDS information. Here's a quick overview of who can file using ITR-1 and ITR-4, and what's different this year. Who Can File ITR-1? (SAHAJ) ITR-1, also known as Sahaj, is the simplest income tax return form and is perfect for salaried individuals or pensioners. You can use it if your income comes from a salary, one house property or other sources like interest from savings or fixed deposits. A recent update now allows you to file ITR-1 even if you have long-term capital gains (LTCG) up to Rs 1.25 lakh under Section 112A, as long as no tax is payable on it. Earlier, such taxpayers had to use ITR-2. However, you can't use ITR-1 if you have taxable capital gains, short-term capital gains, have sold property, or want to carry forward any losses. Who Can Use ITR-4 (Sugam)? ITR-4, also called Sugam, is designed for individuals, Hindu Undivided Families (HUFs), and firms (excluding LLPs) who opt for the presumptive income scheme. You can file this form if your income comes from a business or profession under Sections 44AD, 44ADA, or 44AE, and your total income for the year is up to Rs 50 lakh. However, ITR-4 isn't for you if you're a company director, own unlisted shares, have income or assets abroad, or earn more than Rs5,000 from agriculture. Now that the Excel utilities are available, eligible taxpayers can get an early start on filing. Just make sure to pick the right form to avoid issues later on. New ITR Deadline Announced: September 15, 2025 The Income Tax Department has given taxpayers more time to file their returns for the financial year 2024–25 (assessment year 2025–26). The original deadline of July 31, 2025, has now been extended to September 15, 2025. This extension comes as a relief, especially after delays in issuing the ITR form notifications.
India Today
30-05-2025
- Business
- India Today
ITR-1 and ITR-4 Excel utilities out: Check who can file and what's new this year
The Income Tax Department has released the Excel utilities for ITR Forms 1 and 4 for AY 2025–26. Eligible taxpayers can now download them from the official portal and start preparing their returns for FY 2024– IT Department posted on X, 'Attention taxpayers! The Excel Utility for ITR-1 and ITR-4 for AY 2025-26 has been enabled and is now available for taxpayers.' advertisementThis update comes after the ITR filing deadline was extended to September 15, 2025, giving people more time due to changes in ITR forms, tech upgrades on the portal, and the need to fix TDS data before filing. Here's a quick look at who can use ITR-1 and ITR-4, and what's new this year:WHO CAN FILE ITR-1 (SAHAJ)?ITR-1, also called Sahaj, is the easiest income tax return form, ideal for salaried individuals or pensioners. You can file it if your income comes from salary, one house property, or other sources like bank interest.A recent update now lets you use ITR-1 even if you have long-term capital gains (LTCG) up to Rs 1.25 lakh under Section 112A, provided no tax is due on it. Earlier, such taxpayers had to switch to ITR-2. But remember, you can't file ITR-1 if you have taxable capital gains, short-term capital gains, have sold property, or want to carry forward CAN FILE ITR-4 (SUGAM)?advertisementITR-4, also known as Sugam, is meant for individuals, Hindu Undivided Families (HUFs), and firms (other than Limited Liability Partnership) who opt for the presumptive income can file this form if you earn income from a business or profession under Sections 44AD, 44ADA, or 44AE, and your total annual income doesn't exceed Rs 50 this form is not for you if you're a company director, own unlisted shares, have foreign income or assets, or earn over Rs 5,000 from the Excel utilities now available for download, eligible taxpayers can get a head start on their ITR filing for the year. Make sure you choose the correct form based on your income to avoid any trouble later.
India Today
28-05-2025
- Business
- India Today
Filing ITR late? You can earn 33% more interest on tax refunds this year
The Income Tax Department has extended the last date for filing Income Tax Returns (ITR) for the financial year 2024–25. Instead of the usual July 31 deadline, taxpayers now have time until September 15, 2025. While this comes as a relief for many, it also means that people expecting refunds may get more money, thanks to the interest paid by the tax THE REFUND AMOUNT MAY BE HIGHERIf you've paid more tax—through TDS, advance tax, or self-assessment—than your actual tax liability, you're eligible for a refund. Under Section 244A of the Income Tax Act, the IT Department pays 0.5% interest per month on any excess tax interest starts from April 1 of the assessment year and continues until your refund is issued. Since the ITR deadline has been pushed by 1.5 months, and if your refund is processed in October, you'll end up getting interest for two extra months. According to CA (Dr) Suresh Surana, 'With the ITR filing deadline for FY 2024-25 (AY 2025-26) now extended to 15 September 2025, taxpayers may see an increase in refund of about 33% in the interest amount received on their tax refunds provided the returns are filed by September 15, 2025 and the corresponding refunds are assumed to be processed in October 2025.'advertisementHe added, 'This is because Section 244A allows for simple interest at 0.5% per month (6% annually) on refunds. The additional 1.5 months between the usual deadline of July 31 and the revised deadline of September 15 increases the interest accrual period. If the refund is processed in October, the interest component alone could rise by about 33% (i.e. interest would accrue for an additional 2 months) compared to a typical year. If the processing is delayed beyond October, the interest may increase even further.'BUT REMEMBER - THIS EXTRA INTEREST IS TAXABLEIt's important to note that the interest you receive on your tax refund is taxable under 'Income from Other Sources' and must be reported in your from FY 2025–26, the revised Section 87A rebate ensures that salaried individuals earning up to Rs. 12.75 lakh and non-salaried individuals up to Rs. 12 lakh will have no tax liability under the new regime. This may help cushion the tax impact of the additional interest received,' noted DELAY FILING JUST TO EARN MORE INTERESTDespite the appeal of a bigger refund, experts warn against using the interest benefit as a reason to delay filing your return. 'While higher interest on refunds may appear attractive, it is still capped at 6% per annum,' said CA filing your return early means it's processed sooner, your refund arrives quicker, and you can put that money to better use Watch
The Hindu
21-05-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
J&K Govt. offices ordered to stop using unofficial digital platforms
The J&K government on Wednesday (May 21, 2025) barred its departments from acquiring non-official domains and directed officials not to use non-official mailing services. 'In view of the growing risks associated with unauthorised digital platforms, outdated hardware/software infrastructure, and increasing incidents of data compromise and phishing, a comprehensive set of instructions is hereby issued for immediate implementation and strict compliance,' an order issued by J&K's General Administration Department (GAD) said. The GAD mandated all the departments to adopt stringent cybersecurity practices, terminate unauthorised digital platforms, and ensure full compliance with official IT governance protocols. It has directed immediate 'deactivation of all departmental websites operating on non-official domains like .com, .org, or .net.' 'Government websites will be hosted exclusively on authenticated domains such as '. or '. it said. Personal email banned The government also barred the use of personal email services such as Gmail, Yahoo, or Rediffmail for any official communication. 'All communications must be conducted using NIC-provided official email IDs. Emails from unofficial domains will be treated as invalid and may be ignored,' it said. The order also underlined that any proposals for new websites must be routed through the National Informatics Centre (NIC) and approved by the Information Technology Department to ensure uniformity and compliance with cyber standards. The administration has also ordered a comprehensive IT infrastructure audit across all departments. 'Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) and Information Security Officers (ISOs) are tasked with compiling hardware and software inventories, verifying licensed systems, ensuring the presence of antivirus/firewall solutions, and assessing network security configurations. A standardised reporting format will be provided by the IT Department for uniformity,' it said.. Cyber hygiene The NIC will conduct cyber hygiene and threat response training for IT staff. These sessions will cover topics such as email security configuration, CERT-In reporting protocols, and safe digital practices. The order strictly prohibits the use of pirated or outdated software, stating that all IT procurements must adhere to the minimum technical standards set by the IT Department. All the departments have been given a 15-day deadline to submit detailed compliance reports. 'Failure to comply will invite disciplinary action under the relevant administrative and IT conduct rules,' the order said.
