KAMPALA – The Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) has revealed that the telecommunications sector in the country faces a growing number of cybersecurity threats, including malware and ransomware attacks. Others are phishing attempts, data breaches, and denial-of-service attacks. Data from the Commission shows that these threats can disrupt services, compromise sensitive information, and potentially impact the broader digital transformation efforts in Uganda’s telecom sector. The malicious software attacks can disrupt telecom operations, potentially affecting a large number of users. Hackers are increasingly using sophisticated methods to carry out these attacks.
The phishing attacks, the Commission noted, involve fraudulent attempts to obtain sensitive information like usernames, passwords, and credit card details, often through deceptive emails or messages. UCC also notes that unauthorisedaccess to telecom company networks can lead to the theft of customer data, financial information, and other sensitive data.The prospect of facing Denial of Service (DoS) and Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks is also a heartbeat away, UCC revealed. These attacks aim to overwhelm telecom networks with traffic, making them unavailable to legitimate users.
Describing Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) attacks, UCC said hackers in this case typically intercept communication between users and the telecom network, potentially eavesdropping on conversations or manipulating data. As to Supply Chain attacks, UCC said they compromise third-party vendors or service providers with access to telecom networks is another growing concern. The Commission also noted that insider threats are also becoming a clear and present danger. These involve malicious or negligent actions by individuals within a telco.
Impact of threats
Cyberattacks can cause significant interruptions to telecom services, affecting communication, internet access, and other essential services, UCC warned. It also added that financial losses brought on by data breaches and ransomware attacks cannot be wished away. This includes recovery costs and potential fines. To compound matters, the reputational damage has also been known to affect the bottom line of telcos while also undermining any attempt to undergo digital transformation. Ms Christine Mugimba, UCC’s director ICT and research, said the country has seen an increase in cybercrime cases, with a reported 436 cases in the past year compared to 286 in the previous year highlighting the growing threat.
“Cybercrimes in Uganda include financial fraud, identity theft, and ransomware attacks targeting public utilities and telecom firms,” she said. According to her, the Ugandan government and telcos need to prioritise cybersecurity to mitigate these risks and ensure the stability of the telecom sector. Peter Muhumuza, chief technical officer Roke telecom, told Business Outlook that in the past 10 years the number of subscriptions on telecoms has increased. “With the increased number of subscriptions, there is also an increase in the number of cyber-attacks increasing every day as someone can pay a Chinese or Russian hacker to bring down a big organisation within ten minutes,” he said.
Ms Sylvia Mulenge, chief executive officer of MTN Uganda, said they have done some investments in the ICT space so as to stay ahead of hackers and cybercriminals. “We are in an era of digital transformation so we have put in place measures that safeguard customer’s money and protect their personal data,” she said.
