Somalia’s e-Visa system got breached
Plus Kenya gov't website attacks and Algeria new draft law.
It’s another week, and guess what, another cyber attack is in the headlines. The Somalia e-Visa system got breached, and dozens of government websites in Kenya suffered a “coordinated cyberattack” yesterday morning.
Let’s dive in!
Somalia’s e-Visa system got breached
The newly developed e-Visa system of Somalia was subject to a cyber attack, leading to a breach of personal information impacting about 35,000 people. The breach, which was largely reported on 11th November, includes the names, photos, dates and places of birth, email addresses, marital status, and home addresses of visa applicants.
The incident would’ve been swept under the carpet as always, but the involvement of the US Embassy in Somalia caught international attention. The embassy issued an alert confirming the incident after engaging credible sources. In their notice, they made it known that some US citizens, possibly thousands, may have fallen victim to the data breach.
The UK also issued an alert urging its citizens to weigh their decision to apply for an e-visa post-attack.
The Immigration and Citizenship Agency of Somalia, on 16th November, released an official statement acknowledging the breach, stating “parts of the data of individuals travelling to Somalia” have been impacted.
They assured that investigations are ongoing and individuals who were affected will be notified directly through official channels.
Come to think of it, government IT systems in Africa are always in the news for the wrong reasons. Last week, we featured a series of attacks on Rwanda’s government systems; today, is Somalia. And there’s also Kenya….
Dozens of government websites in Kenya went offline on Monday
According to reports from tech publications in Kenya, multiple government websites went offline in the early morning of Monday, 17th November.
Per Tech Weez, the ministries of Health, Education, Labour, Environment, ICT, Tourism, Energy, Water, Interior, Directorate of Criminal Investigations, Immigration Department, Directorate of Public-Private Partnerships, and the Government Press were all hit, as no group has claimed responsibility.
Visitors to compromised sites were left with messages like “Access denied by PCP,” “We will rise again,” “White power worldwide,” and “14:88 Heil Hitler.”
While some systems were not impacted, the attack proved detrimental. Citizens were left stranded as government services weren’t available.
In 2023, a similar incident occurred with the Sudanese hacker group, Sudan Annonymous, claiming responsibility in response to the country’s “interference in Sudan affairs”.
Algeria strengthens digital governance with revamped law
Algeria’s government has approved a draft law to strengthen legal protections around digital identity and trusted services. The bill, endorsed by President Abdelmadjid Tebboune at a Council of Ministers meeting, aims to modernize the 2015 framework on electronic signatures.
It will grant full legal validity to electronic signatures, seals, timestamps, and authentication, while also establishing a national digital ID system linked to the country’s biometric ID card. The initiative is part of Algeria’s broader 2025–2030 digital-transformation strategy, which focuses on modernizing public services and boosting online economic activity.
The draft law is expected to enhance online security, streamline digital transactions, and build business trust—key steps toward a more resilient and digitally inclusive public sector.
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