Telecom Namibia, a state-owned telecommunications firm, has disclosed the exposure of data from some of its customers by the Hunters International ransomware-as-a-service operation after it rejected ransom negotiations, according to The Record, a news site by cybersecurity firm Recorded Future.
While such an intrusion was reported by Namibian news outlets to have resulted in the compromise of more than 400,000 files, including information from high-profile government officials and clients, Telecom Namibia noted ongoing efforts to evaluate the breach as well as curb its impact on clients. "We don't negotiate with cyber terrorists. We know the sums they’re asking for are exorbitant and unaffordable, so there's no reason to even consider discussing it. And even if you do pay a ransom, there's no guarantee the information won't still be leaked," said Telecom Namibia CEO Stanley Shanapida. Such a development has coincided with a purported intrusion against Namibia's Ministry of Health and Social Services, which was claimed to have resulted in the theft of pharmaceutical data.
