Government Websites Hacked: State’s Swift Response Unveiled
On Thursday, July 27, the ICT Cabinet Secretary, Eliud Owalo, reassured Kenyans that no data had been compromised following cyber attacks on vital government websites, including eCitizen.
Considering that eCitizen is a comprehensive platform for all government services, Kenyans have raised valid concerns regarding data breaches throughout the week.
In response to these concerns, Owalo has reassured the public that the government is actively addressing the issue, urging Kenyans not to despair.
This assault has presented a challenge for the e-citizen platform, but it is being addressed. Today, we will ensure that it is completely functional,” Owalo promised.
During an interview with Spice FM, the CS disclosed that the nation is proactively confronting cyber insecurity by benchmarking with global leaders Israel and India.
“We must strategically communicate with the public and inform them of what has occurred, what we are doing, and the future framework for addressing such issues,”
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“There is no cause for alarm, as we have adequate resources to deal with cases of cyber insecurity,” he added.
Owalo added that the ministry was enhancing its capacity to combat future attacks of this nature.
Despite acknowledging that the hacks had crippled government services, the cabinet secretary stated that the experience is ideal for learning, investigating new technologies, and developing strategies to combat cybersecurity breaches.
This followed several statements made by hackers from Sudan who claimed to have compromised at least five online platforms in Kenya.
According to the hackers, the assaults were a response to Kenya’s interference in the troubled country’s internal affairs.
Kenyans were unable to access vital government services such as driving license renewals, birth certificates, business registration, marriage certificates, passport applications, and petitions for good conduct following the July 24 attacks.
Not for the first time, significant government websites had been compromised. A few weeks earlier, Kenyans reported outages on Gava Mkononi, a portal that consolidates 5,000 services onto a single platform.
Government Websites Hacked: State’s Swift Response Unveiled
