The South African Weather Service (SAWS) plays a vital role in national safety, delivering daily weather forecasts and critical warnings during severe events such as storms, floods, and droughts. It also provides essential data to the aviation and maritime industries to ensure safe operations.
However, SAWS has recently encountered a significant cybersecurity breach, which has tested its resilience and service delivery.
In response, SAWS has now been forced to turn to alternative communication methods to maintain its services for marine, aviation, and severe weather forecasting after its Information and Communication Technology (ICT) systems were compromised on Sunday, 26 January 2025.
“Thus far, we have not had an interruption of services. Weather products for marine and aviation sectors are being conveyed via alternative channels. Daily forecasts are being sent regularly via email to media houses and to Disaster Management Authorities,” stated SAWS Chief Executive Officer, Ishaam Abader.
With its website currently inaccessible, Abader confirmed that weather updates are also being shared through various social media platforms, broadening the reach of this critical information.
Meanwhile, a dedicated team of engineers and cybersecurity experts is working tirelessly to restore normalcy. Their efforts have already seen the successful reactivation of SAWS’s email and telephone systems.
“The SAWS understands the significance of its services in terms of protecting lives and property from hazardous weather impacts. Accordingly, we take this cyber-attack very seriously. The public will be kept informed of developments at regular intervals,” the weather service concluded, reaffirming its commitment to public safety and transparency during this challenging time.
The cybersecurity breach at the South African Weather Service (SAWS) serves as a poignant reminder of the vulnerabilities within even the most critical national infrastructures. SAWS’s quick action to employ alternative communication strategies has ensured continuity in service delivery, underscoring the organisation’s resilience and dedication to public safety. However, the incident highlights the broader implications of cyber threats on services that are pivotal for national security and economic stability.
This attack not only tests SAWS’s operational capabilities but also emphasises the need for all sectors to fortify their cybersecurity measures. The successful partial restoration of services shows the effectiveness of SAWS’s response strategy, yet it also calls for a reassessment of cybersecurity practices to prevent future disruptions that could have far-reaching consequences on life and property. Therefore, SAWS’s commitment to transparency and regular updates is commendable, but this event should catalyse a comprehensive overhaul in how we protect our essential services against the evolving landscape of cyber threats.
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One Response
The SAWS website and web pages has been a problem for years. The public pages were so cumbersome to use anyway. I hope SAWS use this opportunity to radically modernise their site and clean out old and rather useless code. Please modernise the pages ehile you are at it.