IFMIS safe and secure, says gov’t after 18 websites reported hacked

The government’s Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS) is safe and secure, Government spokesperson Col. Cyrus Oguna said on Monday following reports of a cyber attack on several government websites.

In a statement to newsrooms. Col. Oguna confirmed that 18 government websites had been intruded by hackers but said there was no cause for alarm as the affected sites are just ‘informational’ platforms.

The government spokesperson termed the intrusion as a defacement, further adding that the affected websites are hosted on a single server.

“The defacing was on websites that are devoted to sharing information with the public. These websites are not connected to any government database or systems,” reads the statement.

A website defacement is defined as an attack on a website that changes the visual appearance of the site or a webpage. Typically, it occurs when system crackers break into a web server and replace the hosted website with one of their own.

Col. Oguna pointed out that government databases and ICT systems, including IFMIS are managed within a secure government private network, which he assured is safe and secure.

Meanwhile, a team at the ICT authority is working to restore normalcy on the affected websites including those of the National Youth Service (NYS), Judicial Service Commission (JSC), Immigration department, Kenya Meat Commission, Petroleum Ministry and Refugees Affairs.

The hackers said to be from Indonesia placed their logo on the landing pages of the websites showing they had taken control of the platforms.

“Hacked by W4r10k, Kurd electronic team,” read the message on the sites.

The websites have since recovered and placed under maintenance.

Sorry for the inconvenience but we’re performing some maintenance at the moment. If you need to you can always contact us, otherwise we’ll be back online shortly!” reads the message on the affected pages.