SECURITY ALERT
Unitel, ATNS, government ministries... Why cybercriminals are no longer just after your data, but are trying to paralyse the physical economy.
The network of incumbent operator Unitel goes down on a massive scale. The attack comes at the worst possible moment: just before its strategic stock market listing, undermining investor confidence.
Beyond phone calls, the entire value chain collapses: mobile payments are blocked, logistics are left blind, and local businesses grind to a complete halt.
September 2026: the air traffic regulator (which manages 10% of the world's airspace) is hit by ransomware targeting its operational servers. The safety of commercial flights is directly threatened.
The forensic investigation reveals not only data exfiltration to IP addresses in China, but above all points to probable internal complicity (insider threat) by some staff members to infiltrate the systems.
Strictly isolate standard administrative networks (IT) from industrial networks (OT) to prevent the lateral spread of malware.
Define and rehearse emergency plans to operate in "degraded mode" and keep the economy afloat during an active cyberattack.
"Never trust, always verify". A firewall is no longer enough: every access must be authenticated, even when it comes from inside.
"Should Africa urgently designate its data centres, telcos and transport networks as "Critical National Infrastructure" operators subject to uncompromising audits?"
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