This archive report was first published on 23 May 2020.
On May 22, 2020, the website of Kenya's Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (Kari) was compromised and defaced by hackers. The Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (Kalro), which now runs Kari after a merger, stated that foreigners were behind the cyber-attack.
According to Kalro, the hackers posted pornographic content alongside research technologies on Kari's website. The organisation's Director-General, Eliud Kireger, stated that the hackers used fake domain registration details to register the domain and install malware.
Kalro has since written to the cybercrime unit for assistance and assured the public that their website and services are secure and operational, despite the cyber-attack.
This incident is not the first time that government agencies in Kenya have been targeted by hackers. In 2017, the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) website was hacked, and in 2014, the Kenya ICT Authority embarked on an overhaul of government websites to boost security.
