Answers sought on apparent SA defence cyber attack

The Snatch group reportedly carried out a cyber attack against South Africa’s National Defence Force (SANDF) and the Department of Defence (DoD), extracting 1.6 terabytes of data that allegedly includes military contracts and personal information. The group accused the South African government of abetting the illegal arms trade. SANDF spokesperson, Brigadier General Andries Mahapa, dismissed the reports of the attack as “fake news”. Defence experts have called for a modernisation of SANDF’s ICT infrastructure.