By Twink Jones Gadama
In a shocking turn of events, the Department of Immigration in Malawi has found itself at the center of a major cyberattack, leaving the country’s passport system paralyzed and thousands of citizens stranded without essential travel documents. The attack, which was discovered on January 19th, 2024, has raised serious concerns about the security of Malawi’s digital infrastructure and the government’s ability to protect sensitive information.
Brigadier Charles Kalumo, the Director General of Immigration, revealed during a press briefing that the department had received notification of a system failure that disrupted the production of passports, e-visas, and permits. According to Kalumo, the immigration department was quick to conclude that they were under attack, leading to a frantic race to identify the source of the breach and restore the system to full functionality.
The severity of the situation prompted Steve Kayuni, the Principal Secretary of Legal Affairs in the Ministry of Homeland Security, to establish a committee tasked with investigating the cyberattack and ensuring compliance with President Chakwera’s directive to restore the passport system within three weeks. With the clock ticking, officials from the Ministry of Homeland Security have been working tirelessly to provide updates on the progress of the investigation and the efforts to bring the system back online.
Ken Zikhale Ng’oma, a cybersecurity expert, weighed in on the situation, attributing the system disruption to cybercrimes and urging Malawians to remain patient as the government works to recover the compromised information. Ng’oma’s insights shed light on the growing threat of cyberattacks in the digital age and the importance of robust cybersecurity measures to safeguard sensitive data.
Amidst the chaos, Brigadier Charles Kalumo took the opportunity to address rumors surrounding the government’s relationship with Techno Brain, the company responsible for the passport system. Kalumo clarified that the Malawian government had fully compensated Techno Brain in 2023 for the system and stressed that the government retained full control over the system, refuting claims suggesting otherwise.
One of the most chilling revelations from Kalumo’s briefing was the presence of a message within the system demanding a ransom of approximately 2 billion kwacha. “We have your system and we demand a ransom of around 2 billion kwacha,” Kalumo revealed, sending shockwaves through the nation as citizens grappled with the implications of such a brazen act of cybercrime.
As Malawi grapples with the fallout from this unprecedented cyberattack, questions loom about the government’s preparedness to handle future threats to its digital infrastructure. The resilience of Malawi’s immigration system is being put to the test, with the fate of thousands of citizens hanging in the balance. Will the committee tasked with investigating the cyberattack be able to identify the perpetrators and restore the system to full functionality within the three-week deadline? Only time will tell as Malawi navigates the turbulent waters of cybersecurity in the modern age.
