Paratus Namibia says approximately 84GB of data from its internal file server has been compromised in a ransomware attack carried out by Akira, a globally recognised cybercriminal group.
Paratus Managing Director on Friday Andrew Hall expressed regret over the incident, clarifying that although the attack disrupted internal systems, customer data stored in the company’s cloud-hosted backup solution remains protected by encryption, rendering it inaccessible to external parties.
“We regret to announce that we have fallen victim to malicious actors operating for their own gain. Nonetheless, we are taking a firm stance against this criminal act and wish to provide our stakeholders with a clear update on the situation,” Hall stated.
The company has activated its internal incident response team and is collaborating with international legal, forensic, and cybersecurity experts to assess the breach and work on restoring the affected systems.
“This combined team has been working around the clock to bring the affected systems back online on a risk-managed basis in line with best practices,” Paratus said.
The Namibia Cyber Security Incident Response Team (NAM-CSIRT), which operates under the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN), has initiated an independent probe.
“The Namibia Cyber Security Incident Response Team (NAM-CSIRT) (housed at the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia) acknowledges the cyber incident affecting Paratus Namibia Holdings Ltd. Given the sensitive nature of the matter, NAM-CSIRT has launched an independent investigation. NAM-CSIRT will provide an appropriate update in due course,” said Mufaro Nesongano, CRAN’s Executive for Communication and Consumer Relations.
The attack on Paratus follows a similar ransomware attack on Telecom Namibia earlier this year, underscoring the increasing threat of cyberattacks targeting Namibian corporations.
