Hacker group leaked Telecom Namibia's data after it refused to pay a ransom

Namibia’s state-owned telecoms company, Telecom Namibia, has admitted that it suffered a serious data security incident after a hacker group started leaking its internal data on the dark web.

 

Recently, the Hunters International ransomware group claimed that it infiltrated Telecom Namibia’s internal network and stole approximately 492,633 data files amounting to 626.3GB of confidential data.

 

 

The group gave a deadline of December 13 to the telecom company to pay a ransom, but following a round of failed ransom negotiations, it has published the stolen data.

 

Telecom Namibia acknowledged Hunters International’s claims, stating that it was aware of the data leak and had launched an investigation, with assistance from external cyber security experts, to determine the nature and scope of the incident.

 

 

“Initially, it appeared that no sensitive information was compromised, but recent analyses confirmed that some customer data was compromised,” the telecom company said.

 

“The threat was contained about 3 weeks ago and further attacks on our systems and third parties were prevented, however the information that was accessed 3 weeks ago was leaked on the dark web on 13 December 2024 after we refused to negotiate to pay any ransom that may have been demanded,” it added.

 

The telecom company said it is working with relevant law enforcement agencies and is using their guidance to resolve the incident at the earliest.

 

“We caution that anyone that uses and/or circulates any personal information that has been leaked will be committing a criminal offence. Therefore, we urgently ask members of the public to refrain from circulating and/or exploiting and misusing the information for fraud, scams, and other criminal activities,” the telecom company added.

 

In a statement shared with local media, Telecom Namibia’s chief executive, Stanley Shanapinda, said, “We don’t negotiate with cyber terrorists. We know the sums they’re asking for are exorbitant and unaffordable, so there’s no reason to even consider discussing it. And even if you do pay a ransom, there’s no guarantee the information won’t still be leaked.”