Malawi’s passport system is back online several weeks after being hit by what appears to be a ransomware attack.
The restoration comes nearly three weeks after the attack on the computer network of the country’s immigration service.
At the time of the attack, President Lazarus Chakwera noted that the hackers had demanded a ransom, which the Malawi government had no intention of paying, indicating that a ransomware attack was the cause of the hacked system.
President Chakwera has since called for an investigation into the attack, which occurred reportedly at the hands of cyber mercenaries.
“I want law enforcement to immediately open an investigation into the attack on the e-passport system at the Department of Citizenship and Immigration Services,” Chakwera said. “Those found guilty of the crime should face the long arm of the law.”
The immigration department released a statement thanking Malawians for their patience and stressing that the system was being restored by a team of local experts. Passport printing will resume this week, first in Lilongwe, with the rest of the regions to gradually follow.