Central Bank of Lesotho Restores Interbank Transfers, Days After Being Targeted in A Cyberattack
The Central Bank of Lesotho has reinstated interbank transfers days after experiencing a cyberattack that affected interbank and international payments.
After successfully restoring interbank transfers, the Bank confirmed the resumption of interbank transfers, notifying that banks can now process transactions with other banks.
It wrote via a statement,
“The Bankers Association of Lesotho (BAL) and the Central Bank of Lesotho (CBL) wish to inform the public that the banking industry is now able to process inter-bank transfers after invoking the business continuity process whilst a permanent solution is being sought. All banks are now able to process transactions to other Banks. However, customers are advised to expect some delays as the processing of payments is done manually.
“The industry is trying everything possible to expedite payments as soon as possible, and the public is advised that there might be some expected delays in this operation. We appreciate your patience and understanding during this period. The industry will provide further updates as developments unfold”.
Recall that on the 11th of December, the bank confirmed that it encountered a cybersecurity incident, that made it impossible for local banks in the country to process inter-bank transactions, requiring alternative measures to facilitate payments.
The Central Bank of Lesotho disclosed that there was no financial loss recorded, however, it did not give details about the attack.
It said in a statement,
“The Bank has investigated the matter and is working around the clock to restore the systems. The bank wishes to assure the public that it has not suffered any financial or other loss. Consequently, some payments may be delayed while the Bank works on getting the systems back to normalcy”.
In a bid to combat the cybersecurity issue and restore the interbank transfers, Technical teams from the Central Bank of Lesotho as well as Regulators and the banking industry as a whole worked tirelessly to resolve the issue.
