By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The South African Revenue Service (SARS) labelled the data breach reports as false, saying there is no evidence that its systems have been compromised.
The claims emerged over the weekend, when a group calling itself Nullsec Nigeria said it breached SARS and the South African Information Technology Agency (SITA).
Nullsec Nigeria, which previously operated under the name Anonymous Nigeria, posted links on a hacker forum to allegedly compromised data from two South African organisations.
It claimed the SARS data included names, email addresses and passwords used on official websites. The SITA link allegedly contained names, passwords, and the platforms used to access SITA services.
In a statement on Monday afternoon, SARS says it continuously monitors its systems for any suspicious activity and has conducted a “thorough investigation” in response to the reports.
“At this stage, there is no evidence that SARS’s systems have been compromised. SARS wishes to reassure the public regarding the integrity of its systems.”
SARS has also urged members of the public to verify information before sharing and not to circulate unverified claims or rely on information from unofficial sources.
The public is also reminded to remain vigilant against scams and phishing attempts, particularly where messages claim to be from SARS, and to consult the following link for guidance: https://www.sars.gov.za/targeting-tax-crime/scams-and-phishing/.
State Information Technology Agency (SITA) also denied experiencing any breach.
SITA head of corporate affairs, Tlali Tlali, said the organisation’s ICT infrastructure had not been compromised and that its systems were fully intact.
Tlali explained that SITA’s security teams operate 24/7 and are equipped with monitoring and threat-detection capabilities.
“All systems have been tested and verified as fully operational, and no anomalies indicative of a cyberattack have been identified,” the organisation said.
The campaign is aimed to attack South African government organisations amid the increased incidence of xenophobic attacks on foreign nationals in South Africa, including Nigerians.