Justice department recovering after IT services ‘hacked’

The Department of Justice (DOJ) says it has taken major steps to deal with the ransomware attack that occurred in September.

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Published Oct 12, 2021

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DURBAN - THE Department of Justice (DOJ) says it has taken major steps to deal with the ransomware attack that occurred in September.

The information technology (IT) attack affected several services, with child maintenance payments one of the main concerns.

The DOJ said in a recent statement that the payment of child maintenance was prioritised to ensure as little disruption as possible.

The department also confirmed that a number of services have been reactivated in a secure manner.

It said court recordings were given priority so courts were able to operate as normal.

Where courts still face challenges, “a special capacity had been deployed” to deal with queries on a case-by-case basis.

The DOJ also said the integrated case management system (ICMS) had not yet fully been restored.

“Parts of the ICMS that have been restored include curatorship and portals used for historic searches.”

It said it was working on the system to ensure the full functioning of trusts, deceased estates and insolvencies.

Another major concern was the possible leak of personal information, the department said.

It said it had conducted a highlevel assessment, and issued a notice on its website about extra security measures.

THE MERCURY

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