“Senegal has never paid a ransom…”: Colonel Aly Mime clarifies the cyberattacks that affected the DAF, the Treasury, and others.

In recent years, Senegal has been the target of several cyberattacks. Ransomware attacks have targeted various infrastructures and public administration systems. However, Colonel Aly Mime, Director of Cryptography and Information Systems Security, assures that Senegal has not paid any money to the hackers.

"No, regarding the payment, let's be clear about that. We have never paid a ransom to Senegal," he asserted on the RTS set.

This stance comes in a context where ransomware has become one of the main economic models of cybercrime. Attackers take systems or data hostage before demanding a financial reward, usually in cryptocurrencies.

Colonel Aly Mime specifically cites attacks that have targeted the DAF (French Directorate of Finance), the Treasury, and the DGID (General Directorate of Taxes and Duties). He believes these incidents must be considered within a more complex context: cyber attackers can also exaggerate their results and publicize data they claim to have obtained.

"There's a lot of bluffing," he explains, believing that statements from cybercriminal groups about the extent of information obtained should be analyzed with caution.

The key, according to him, now lies in the state's ability to withstand an attack, limit its consequences, and quickly restore its services. This approach relies on the resilience of systems rather than the promise of absolute protection.

“No one can tell you, ‘Yes, I can stop cyberattacks,’” he emphasizes. The strategy, therefore, consists of continuously strengthening protection measures and, above all, reducing the time needed to return to normal operations when an incident occurs.