The Barbados Revenue Authority (BRA) and police are investigating a reported breach of its vehicle registration data.
Reports had been circulating on social media that BRA’s system had been hacked and personal information was compromised.
In a statement issued just before 2 p.m., BRA said it was aware that some vehicle registration application information was circulating on the Internet and social media and it is “actively investigating the incident”. Vehicle registration has been taken offline the BRA website in the meantime.
“We are currently working with our partners and law enforcement to conduct a thorough investigation to determine the nature and scope of the reported incident,” BRA said. “As the investigation continues we have to be mindful not to share information about the specific nature of the incident or of the security measures taken to address them, so as not to jeopardise the work of the investigators. The Data Commissioner has been informed of this incident and will continue to be updated.”
“The Authority understands that restricting access to the vehicle registration portal is disruptive to Barbadians, and we regret the inconvenience that these necessary precautions have caused for the public,” it added.
BRA has advised members of the public to remain vigilant and monitor their personal account activity and be on the alert for any unusual activity or requests seeming to come from BRA.
Anyone who recognises any such activity is advised to report such instances to BRA’s Data Privacy Officer at privacy@bra.gov.bb.
