Somalia confirms main information breach in digital visa system | Journey Information

Officials launch probe days after breach emerged amid widespread concern and hypothesis over leaked information.

Somalia’s Immigration and Citizenship Agency has confirmed that hackers breached its digital visa platform, exposing delicate private information of travellers who used the system.

The admission on Sunday marks the primary official acknowledgement by Somali authorities after the United States and United Kingdom issued warnings earlier within the week.

At least 35,000 folks, together with hundreds of American residents, might have had their information compromised when “unidentified hackers” penetrated the system, in keeping with a US Embassy assertion issued on November 13.

Somalia’s Defence Minister Ahmed Moalim Fiqi had praised the digital visa system this week, claiming it had efficiently prevented ISIL (ISIS) fighters from coming into the nation, as a months-long battle continued within the northern areas in opposition to an area affiliate of the group.

The leak got here to wider consideration final week after clusters of accounts on the social media platform X started circulating what they claimed was private data from affected people.

The breach has forged a highlight on the vulnerabilities of a digital system that Somalia’s authorities had promoted as important for enhancing nationwide safety.

The immigration company mentioned it was treating the problem with “special importance” and introduced it has launched an investigation into the problem.

The company mentioned it was investigating “the extent of the attempted breach, its origin, and any potential impact”, including {that a} report can be printed and people affected would learn instantly.

However, the assertion didn’t point out how many individuals had been affected, nor did it give any sense of how lengthy the method may take.

The authorities has since quietly moved its e-visa system to a brand new web site.

The UK embassy warned travellers on November 14 that “this data breach is ongoing and could expose any personal data you enter into the system,” advising folks to “consider the risks before applying for an e-visa”.

Mohamed Ibrahim, a former Somali telecommunications minister and tech professional, instructed Al Jazeera that whereas hacking is a major problem, the authorities’ lack of transparency is troubling.

“Somalia isn’t high-tech, and hacking, in itself, is neither here nor there. But they should have been upfront with the public,” Ibrahim mentioned.

“Why was the website’s URL changed, for example? That hasn’t even been explained,” he added, referring to the area title change for the e-visa utility website.

On Saturday, the Somali immigration company’s director-general dismissed media studies in regards to the breach as “coordinated misinformation campaigns” meant to undermine state establishments.

“A Somali individual cannot undermine the dignity, authority, honour or unity of the state,” Mustafa Sheikh Ali Duhulow instructed an viewers in Mogadishu on Saturday night time, with out instantly addressing the hacking allegations.

The breach has sparked fury amongst officers in Somaliland, the breakaway area that declared independence from Somalia in 1991, who’ve usually resisted makes an attempt by Mogadishu to impose management over the territory.

Mohamed Hagi, an adviser to Somaliland’s president, referred to as Mogadishu’s administration “institutionally irresponsible” for preserving the visa portal lively regardless of the breach.

The incident got here amid escalating tensions between Somalia and Somaliland over airspace management.

Somalia’s authorities has been working to tighten management of its nationwide airspace and centralise visa procedures, regardless of authority within the nation being fragmented amongst autonomous regional states.

Just in the future earlier than the breach emerged, Somaliland declared that “entry visas issued by the Federal Government of Somalia bear no legal validity” inside its territory.