ICT Cabinet Secretary Eliud Owalo has acknowledged that the government’s online services faced a cyber attack conducted by hackers identifying themselves as Anonymous Sudan.
During an interview, Mr. Owalo reassured the public that no data was lost in the attack, and the government is diligently working to resolve the issue and enhance platform security. Despite the majority of Kenyans complaining about the unavailability of government services through the portal for the past four days, the CS assured citizens that the system’s accessibility will be restored by the end of the day.
Furthermore, the CS emphasized the need for an elaborate risk mitigation framework and informed the public that the government is actively developing measures not only to address the current situation but also to prevent future attacks.
The attackers initially slowed down the system, but the CS assured that this issue is being addressed promptly. He also highlighted that the government had anticipated such attacks and established the Office of the Data Commission to bolster data protection.
Amidst the cyber attack, Anonymous Sudan publicly announced its intention to target more government digital services on social media. However, Mr. Owalo called for calm, stating that there is no cause for alarm and the government possesses adequate capacity to handle cyber insecurity issues.
He assured Kenyans that their data is secure, despite the attempted disruptions, and expressed confidence in the government’s efforts to mitigate against cyber threats and enhance their cybersecurity capabilities.
