LycaMobile said that it has been the victim of a cyber attack, which caused disruption to its operations and customers across most of the operator’s footprint. The company became aware of the issues at the start of October and has since launched an internal probe.
The attack affected all LycaMobile markets over the weekend including Uganda except for the United States, Australia, Ukraine, and Tunisia.
According to the company’s announcement, the attack impacted some national and international calling, as well as customers’ and retailers’ ability to access top-ups through LycaMobile’s channels. LycaMobile has since restored mobile telecommunication services in all of its markets, but some operational services are still being restored.
LycaMobile has not confirmed whether the attack was a ransomware attack, but it is possible. Ransomware attacks are becoming increasingly common, and they can have a devastating impact on businesses of all sizes.
If LycaMobile was indeed the victim of a ransomware attack, it is likely that the attackers encrypted the company’s data and demanded a ransom payment in exchange for the decryption key. LycaMobile may have paid the ransom, or it may have been able to decrypt the data without paying.
It is also possible that the attack was not a ransomware attack, but rather a more traditional hacking attack. In this case, the attackers may have stolen customer data or gain access to LycaMobile’s systems for other purposes.
The cyberattack on Lyca Mobile came just days after Motel One revealed it was a victim of a ransomware attack, but the company’s preventive measures helped it thwart the attack before it could do further damage.
In response to the news, Mike Newman, CEO of My1Login said “This is an example of a cyberattack having very real and physical impacts on society. Last Friday, social media sites were awash with complaints from angry LycaMobile customers over their inability to send text messages and make calls. It is now clear this was caused by what looks like a massive cyberattack that impacted all of Lyca Mobile markets.”
Newman argued that based on the initial details, it could be a ransomware attack on LycaMobile. “It is clear the attackers managed to get deep enough into the service provider’s network to take down key services – this could indicate it was ransomware Lyca Mobile was dealing with.”
Lyca Mobile is currently investigating the attack and working to determine the full extent of the damage. The company is also working to improve its security measures to prevent future attacks.
In the meantime, Lyca Mobile customers should be vigilant and monitor their accounts for any suspicious activity. Customers should also change their Lyca Mobile passwords immediately and be careful about clicking on any links in emails or text messages from Lyca Mobile.
If Lyc Mobile customers see anything suspicious, they should report it to LycaMobile customer support immediately.
