MTCC denies taxi app hacking, says employee leaked data

MTCC, on Sunday, affirmed that the ‘Male’ Taxi Line’ application, developed at an estimated cost of MVR 13 million, was not compromised through an external cyberattack, explaining that an internal investigation found that a company employee was responsible for the unauthorized modification of the application and the subsequent leak of users’ personal information.

The incident came to light last night following reports of disruptions to the service, during which the names of drivers listed on the application were altered, ultimately resulting in a complete suspension of the service. Following the disruption, sensitive user information, including names, phone numbers, wallet IDs, and email addresses, was leaked on social media platforms.

In an official statement issued regarding the incident, MTCC rejected claims that the application had been subjected to a cyberattack. The company said its internal investigation identified an employee who had accessed the application’s backend to manipulate and leak private information. According to MTCC, the employee acted without authorization and was motivated by personal and political objectives.

Although MTCC did not disclose the identity of the employee, the company confirmed that the individual had been suspended from duty. MTCC further assured that the strictest disciplinary measures would be taken against the employee in accordance with the company’s regulations and policies.

The statement further said that MTCC’s ICT network security system immediately detected the unauthorized modifications made to the backend database, prompting an immediate security lockdown. MTCC stated that its servers and the “Male’ Taxi Line” backend system had been fully secured by 23:30 last night, allowing customers to resume using the application without further disruption.

The ‘Male’ Taxi Line’ was initially launched by the current administration on April 2 to provide convenient transportation services across Male’, Hulhumale’, and Villingili. However, the service experienced significant delays, resulting in public inconvenience, before it was formally relaunched on June 2.

MTCC reported that the service, which commenced operations with a fleet of 150 fully electric (EV) and environmentally friendly vehicles, completed more than 13,000 trips during its first month of operation.

The development of the taxi application has previously come under scrutiny. Mohamed Ibrahim (Kudoo), the MDP Member of Parliament for Galolhu North, had earlier raised the matter at the People’s Majlis, alleging corruption in the procurement and development of the application.