Cyberattacks Target SA Weather, Impacting Aviation, Marine, and Public Services
The South African Weather Service (SAWS) has suffered two cyberattacks in as many days, leaving its website offline and disrupting critical services, including aviation and marine operations. The breaches, which occurred on January 25 and January 27, have raised concerns about the growing threat of cybercrime in South Africa.
Double Hit on SA Weather’s Systems
SAWS confirmed that its information and communication technology (ICT) systems were compromised on Sunday, January 27, following a failed attack two days earlier. The attacks were described as “security breaches by criminal elements,” forcing the service to rely on social media platforms to disseminate weather updates.
Critical services, particularly those related to aviation and marine, have been severely impacted by the downtime. “We still have our ICT people on-site working on everything to make sure that we’re safe again,” SAWS said, adding that the breach has been reported to relevant authorities.
Rising Costs of Data Breaches in South Africa
Cyberattacks are becoming increasingly costly and sophisticated. According to IBM’s 2024 Cost of a Data Breach Report, the average cost of a data breach in South Africa has risen to R53.1 million. Stolen or compromised credentials accounted for 17% of all cyberattacks in the country, with breaches involving data stored across multiple environments costing an average of R59 million.
These breaches also take significant time to resolve. On average, South African organisations need 227 days to identify and contain incidents, slightly below the global average of 258 days.
Evolving Cyber Threats in 2024
The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) has significantly impacted the cyber landscape. AI tools now enable attackers to develop more sophisticated and harder-to-detect tactics, while also providing cybersecurity teams with enhanced defensive capabilities.
Stu Sjouwerman, CEO of cybersecurity platform KnowBe4, highlighted the evolving complexity of cyber threats. “As we enter 2025, we must embrace the potential of AI to enhance our defences and protect organisations globally,” he said, urging companies to focus on the human element to reduce vulnerabilities.
Public Urged to Stay Informed
In the wake of the cyberattacks, SAWS has advised the public to rely on its social media platforms for weather updates while its website remains offline. Efforts to restore full functionality are ongoing.
As cyber threats continue to evolve, organisations and individuals must remain vigilant and adopt proactive measures to safeguard their digital infrastructure.
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