Government investigating R300m cybercrime theft

R300m has been stolen from the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) over the past 10 years.

This is according to DPWI Minister Dean Macpherson, who says the last incident took place in May when cyber attackers stole R24m

This prompted a full forensic investigation by the Hawks, SAPS, State Security Agency and experts in the ICT and cyber security industry.

The theft was brought to light after Macpherson and Deputy Minister Sihle Zikalala conducted detailed assessments of the department’s work.

“It has become clear that the department has been a soft target and playground for cyber criminals [for] 10 years, and this should have been picked up a lot earlier. I felt it important to let South Africa know what has happened and what we are doing about it,” Macpherson says.

“I cannot discount the possibility of collusion between officials and criminals in this prolonged period of theft. It is clear that we need better financial controls, which I have said to the department are a matter of urgency,” says Macpherson.

He has pledged to crack down on the syndicates and those in cahoots with them.

“We want to put a stop to this immediately because we cannot allow our department to be subjected to unchecked looting. This is money that could have been spent on our infrastructure drive to improve the lives of South Africans.

“The investigation will be expanded and deepened to find the masterminds and the beneficiaries of this grand theft, and I want to see them in prison,” Macpherson says.

Suspensions and seizures

Three senior management officials and one middle management official have been suspended and 30 laptops have been seized.

The department was forced to shut down all its payment systems, causing significant delays in paying its creditors.

In May, the department announced that it had ordered a full forensic probe into what it called vulnerabilities in the department’s information and technology systems.

The department identified  cyber security vulnerabilities with assistance from its banking partners, including ABSA and the South African Reserve Bank.

The investigation, which involves cyber and ICT security experts, covers the following:

• Causes of the breach and vulnerabilities
• Vulnerability and susceptibility to cybercrime of the ICT infrastructure within the department
• Lack of staff capacity and weak ICT systems.

“We are appealing to the team probing this security breach to conclude their investigation with speed. We do not want prolonged investigations with no results or consequences. There is simply no place for corruption in this department,” Macpherson says.

“I welcome the initial swift investigation launched by my predecessor and now Deputy Minister Zikalala. The department has suffered a massive financial loss and those responsible for protecting us from cyber criminals must be held to account.

“We need answers as to what happened under their watch. We also ask the investigators to trace and follow the money and ensure that it is brought back to the coffers of government,” he adds. – SAnews.gov.za