A cyber incident at Eswatini's National Data Centre has disrupted at least 12 government digital services and platforms. The Royal Science and Technology Park (RSTP), a parastatal under the Ministry of Information, Communications and Technology (ICT), confirmed the incident. Engineers and experts from external service providers are working to restore the affected services. The incident has affected various government services, including those provided by the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Trade.
According to sources, a third-party client of RSTP is suspected to have provided a gateway into the National Data Centre, resulting in several files being corrupted. Preliminary findings indicate that no data was stolen, but several files were allegedly corrupted during the incident. The National Commissioner of Police, Vusi Manoma Masango, stated that the police have engaged international partners, including INTERPOL, for technical assistance in investigating the incident.
INTERPOL has previously assisted the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) in investigations involving online criminal networks. The police and their partners will take action once a report on the incident is submitted by the consultant procured by RSTP and the Ministry of ICT. Masango said the police are closely following developments while the consultant continues with the assessment.
The affected services include selected services available through the Government in Your Hand (GIYH) application, such as services provided by the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Trade. Other affected services include the Ministry of Public Works Road Transport Permit, the Ministry of Labour and Social Security Government Scholarship Application, and the Ministry of Tinkhundla Regional Development Fund Application.
RSTP Communications Manager Senzo Malaza stated that the organisation has brought in external expertise to assist its engineers in addressing the incident. Malaza apologised to RSTP customers for the disruption and assured them that the organisation remains committed to providing quality services while maintaining a secure environment. He stressed that the incident has not brought all government services to a standstill.
The Ministry of ICT separately confirmed that several government web-based services and digital platforms were experiencing outages. The incident follows allegations circulated on social media that the National Data Centre had been hacked and that hackers were demanding a ransom. RSTP is working to prevent similar incidents in the future while continuing to provide information technology services to the public and private sectors.
The incident highlights the importance of cybersecurity in protecting critical infrastructure. The Eswatini government, with the assistance of INTERPOL and other partners, is working to investigate the incident and prevent similar incidents in the future. Key services are being restored, and the public is assured that essential government services remain available despite the disruptions.
Key points
- The cyber incident at Eswatini's National Data Centre has disrupted 12 government digital services and platforms.
- A third-party client of RSTP is suspected to have provided a gateway into the National Data Centre.
- INTERPOL has been roped in to assist in the investigation of the incident.
