This archive report was first published on 5 November 2021.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i has had enough of 'cyber terrorists' who are misusing their digital powers to forge government documents and issue fake public holidays.
On November 4, 2021, a fake gazette notice started circulating on social media, declaring Thursday, November 4, a public holiday to mark the Hindu festival of Diwali.
The notice was quickly debunked by the ministry, which tweeted, 'The Government HAS NOT declared a public holiday on THURSDAY NOV 4, 2021. The purported gazette notice declaring a holiday is FAKE!'
Now, Matiang'i is promising to take action against those responsible, using the newly operationalized National Computer and Cybercrime Coordination Committee (NC4) to target individuals involved in digital banditry.
He emphasized the importance of investing in cyber security training and capacity building to prevent such incidents in the future.
The NC4 has been mandated to detect, investigate, and prosecute acts of cybercrimes, including the forgery of government documents and communications.
