A major cyber-attack that caused an outage of more than 5,000 public services in Kenya for more than 48 hours while disabling Internet-based and mobile payment platforms has exposed the growing threat of payment service disruptions to the economy.
The attack hit a critical section of the country’s financial system with M-Pesa, a mobile service product that is fast turning into an artery for the circulation of money in Kenya’s economy, also disrupted.
Activities on the M-Pesa App — which handled transactions valued at Sh1.3 trillion in the year to March—were particularly affected in what is turning into a major test of the country’s preparedness against cyber-attacks as the government moves most of its services online.
But it is the hacking of e-Citizen — a government e-services portal — that has shocked the national intelligence and financial systems on the risk of a shutdown of public services days after the government shifted to the platform.
Source: Business Daily Africa
