{"id":2585,"date":"2024-02-23T16:11:24","date_gmt":"2024-02-23T16:11:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.darkreading.com\/cyberattacks-data-breaches\/malawi-immigration-department-halts-services-amid-cyberattack"},"modified":"2024-02-23T16:11:24","modified_gmt":"2024-02-23T16:11:24","slug":"malawi-immigration-dept-halts-passport-services-amid-cyberattack","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/2024\/02\/23\/malawi-immigration-dept-halts-passport-services-amid-cyberattack\/","title":{"rendered":"Malawi Immigration Dept. Halts Passport Services Amid Cyberattack"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"media_block\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eu-images.contentstack.com\/v3\/assets\/blt6d90778a997de1cd\/bltc37ba36a820df23c\/65d8bd09af7236040aadb76d\/malawi_Rawf8_alamy.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/malawi-immigration-dept-halts-passport-services-amid-cyberattack.jpg?w=640&#038;ssl=1\" class=\"media_thumbnail\"><\/a><\/div>\n<div><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/malawi-immigration-dept-halts-passport-services-amid-cyberattack.jpg?w=640&#038;ssl=1\" class=\"ff-og-image-inserted\"><\/div>\n<p class=\"ContentParagraph ContentParagraph_align_left\" data-testid=\"content-paragraph\"><span class=\"ContentText ContentText_variant_bodyNormal\" data-testid=\"content-text\">The Malawi government reportedly has suspended issuing passports for the past two weeks due to what appears to be a ransomware attack on the immigration service&#8217;s computer network.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"ContentParagraph ContentParagraph_align_left\" data-testid=\"content-paragraph\"><span class=\"ContentText ContentText_variant_bodyNormal\" data-testid=\"content-text\">President Lazarus Chakwera said the hackers are demanding a <\/span><span class=\"ContentText ContentText_variant_bodyNormal\" data-testid=\"content-text\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.darkreading.com\/threat-intelligence\/royal-ransom-demands-exceed-275m-rebrand-in-offing\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"ContentText-BodyTextChunk ContentText-BodyTextChunk_link\" rel=\"noopener\">ransom<\/a><\/span><span class=\"ContentText ContentText_variant_bodyNormal\" data-testid=\"content-text\">, but the Malawi government has no intention of paying as it refuses to &#8220;appease criminals&#8221; or negotiate &#8220;with those who attack our country.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"ContentParagraph ContentParagraph_align_left\" data-testid=\"content-paragraph\"><span class=\"ContentText ContentText_variant_bodyNormal\" data-testid=\"content-text\">So far, no details were released on who is behind the attack or if any <\/span><span class=\"ContentText ContentText_variant_bodyNormal\" data-testid=\"content-text\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-africa-68366749\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"sponsored noopener\" class=\"ContentText-BodyTextChunk ContentText-BodyTextChunk_link\">data was stolen.<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"ContentParagraph ContentParagraph_align_left\" data-testid=\"content-paragraph\"><span class=\"ContentText ContentText_variant_bodyNormal\" data-testid=\"content-text\">President Chakwera noted that he anticipates the immigration department will find a temporary solution for a three-week deadline it was given to resume issuing <\/span><span class=\"ContentText ContentText_variant_bodyNormal\" data-testid=\"content-text\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.darkreading.com\/cyberattacks-data-breaches\/vice-society-releases-info-stolen-uk-schools-passport-scans\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"ContentText-BodyTextChunk ContentText-BodyTextChunk_link\" rel=\"noopener\">passports.<\/a><\/span><span class=\"ContentText ContentText_variant_bodyNormal\" data-testid=\"content-text\"> The nation plans to enact a long-term solution to protecting the system with additional security measures, he said.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"ContentParagraph ContentParagraph_align_left\" data-testid=\"content-paragraph\"><span class=\"ContentText ContentText_variant_bodyNormal\" data-testid=\"content-text\">This is not the first time the country has had to suspend issuing passports, but this recent pause comes at a time when demand for passports is high, with many citizens migrating for employment opportunity reasons.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.darkreading.com\/cyberattacks-data-breaches\/malawi-immigration-department-halts-services-amid-cyberattack\">Source<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Malawi government reportedly has suspended issuing passports for the<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":2586,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[809],"class_list":["post-2585","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-dark-reading"],"featured_image_urls":{"full":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/malawi-immigration-dept-halts-passport-services-amid-cyberattack.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1",1200,800,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/malawi-immigration-dept-halts-passport-services-amid-cyberattack.jpg?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/malawi-immigration-dept-halts-passport-services-amid-cyberattack.jpg?fit=300%2C200&ssl=1",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/malawi-immigration-dept-halts-passport-services-amid-cyberattack.jpg?fit=640%2C427&ssl=1",640,427,true],"large":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/malawi-immigration-dept-halts-passport-services-amid-cyberattack.jpg?fit=640%2C427&ssl=1",640,427,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/malawi-immigration-dept-halts-passport-services-amid-cyberattack.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1",1200,800,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/malawi-immigration-dept-halts-passport-services-amid-cyberattack.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1",1200,800,true],"chromenews-featured":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/malawi-immigration-dept-halts-passport-services-amid-cyberattack.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1",1024,683,true],"chromenews-large":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/malawi-immigration-dept-halts-passport-services-amid-cyberattack.jpg?resize=825%2C575&ssl=1",825,575,true],"chromenews-medium":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/malawi-immigration-dept-halts-passport-services-amid-cyberattack.jpg?resize=590%2C410&ssl=1",590,410,true]},"author_info":{"display_name":"Dark 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