Karnataka police have launched an investigation into a cyberattack targeting the Kaveri 2.0 portal, a critical system for property transactions and registrations across the state. The attack, which caused significant disruptions in registration services, has prompted swift action by authorities.

The incident came to light after a complaint from KA Dayanand, inspector general of registration, leading to the registration of an FIR under the Information Technology Act. Central DCP Shekar H Tekkannavar confirmed the investigation, stating that an inquiry into the hacking incident has begun.

Authorities discovered that cybercriminals had infiltrated the Kaveri 2.0 portal, creating fake accounts and attempting to steal sensitive data. A joint effort from the Stamps and Registration Department and the Smart Governance Centre (SGC) led to the identification of 62 email accounts and their associated IP addresses involved in the attack.

The attack, which occurred last month, resulted in severe server issues, halting property registration work at sub-registrar offices across the state. During the cyberattack, the volume of requests surged to eight times the usual number, with over 620,000 malicious requests recorded in just two hours, according to the SGC.

In response, Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda expressed the government’s commitment to addressing the issue and announced plans for an independent security audit of the department’s IT systems to prevent future breaches.