Cybersecurity Nightmare Unfolds as Malawi’s Immigration Systems Under Attack

There has been a recent cyberattack on Malawi, according to President Lazarus Chakwera, which has caused the government to stop issuing passports. However, some observers believe such an attack did not occur. Chakwera informed parliament on Wednesday that security measures were in place to identify and apprehend the attackers who compromised the country’s security. 

It was his statement that the attackers were demanding millions in ransom, but the administration was unwilling to pay it. The hacker has been causing the Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services’ passport printing system to malfunction over the past three weeks, according to him. In Malawi, there is a high demand for passports with many young people seeking to migrate to find employment. 

As a result of Mr Chakwera’s request, the immigration department is expected to provide a temporary solution within three weeks of regaining control of the system to resume passport issuance. There would be an additional security safeguard developed as part of the long-term solution, he said. 

In his address on Wednesday, Chakwera said that he had given the immigration department a three-week deadline to provide a temporary solution to the passport printing issue and to resume printing of passports. He further said at the same event that he had reassured hackers that the Malawi government would not pay ransoms.

As a result of the

[…]
Content was cut in order to protect the source.Please visit the source for the rest of the article.