The South African Weather Service (SAWS) expects to fully restore its website and IT systems within the next week, nearly a month after falling victim to a ransomware attack.
The SAWS website, a crucial resource for the public and industries such as aviation, agriculture, and marine services, went offline on January 26 following the cyberattack.
SAWS later confirmed that it was targeted by ransomware, with a “generic ransom note” reportedly sent by RansomHub, a cybercrime group believed to have Russian ties.
However, SAWS CEO Ishaam Abader stated in an interview with eNCA that no ransom amount has been demanded.
A current report shows that most victims rely on backups instead of paying a ransom, which resulted in a decline in ransom payments by 35% in 2024.
To continue providing weather updates, SAWS has relied on an alternative government website and social media platforms, including its X (formerly Twitter) account.
Despite the disruption, Abader assured the public that SAWS retains access to high-performance computing facilities (an alternative), enabling them to run weather prediction models.
Regarding costs, Abader mentioned that the financial impact has been lower than expected, thanks to support from a South African Reserve Bank team at no cost. “at this point in time, it has not costed us as we anticipated,” said Abader.
He also emphasized that restoring the website is a top priority, particularly for the aviation sector, and expects it to be back online by the end of this week or early next week.
About Author
