A senior official from Uganda’s Ministry of Finance has confirmed that hackers breached the Central Bank’s IT infrastructure, stealing $16 million.
A senior official from Uganda’s Ministry of Finance has confirmed that hackers breached the Central Bank’s IT infrastructure, stealing $16 million.
However, the officials downplayed the attack’s severity, claiming that situation is under control and that measures are being taken to prevent future breaches. The hacking group based in Southeast Asia, sent part of stolen money to Japan, unnamed sources at the bank.
State Minister for finance Henry Musasizi confirmed the cyberattack in parliament on Thursday, informing that investigations are done by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). He also stated, “It is true our accounts were hacked into, but not to the extent of what is being reported. An audit and investigations are in their final stages”.
The Bank of Uganda neither confirmed nor denied the hacking incident but said that “awaiting police report” some newspapers reported that half of the stolen money has been recovered.
President Yoweri Museveni has ordered authorities to launch a thorough investigation into the latest series of cyber-attacks on financial institutions and telecom firms in Uganda.
There have been numerous cyber thefts targeting financial institutions and telecom firms, yet police officials have stated that banks are reluctant to publicly disclose these incidents. They fear that revealing such breaches could negatively affect customer trust.
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