Question NW1829 to the Minister of Public Enterprises

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15 October 2021 - NW1829

Profile picture: Cebekhulu, Inkosi RN

Cebekhulu, Inkosi RN to ask the Minister of Public Enterprises

(a) What is the economic impact of the cyber hack on the network of Transnet in major ports of the Republic? (b) How is the cyber-attack expected to affect the position of the Republic as a ports operator in international trade in the (i) short and (ii) long term?

Reply:

According to the information received from Transnet:

(a) The port networks have not been negatively impacted by the attack, as the surface area of attack was on the server domain and applications.

(b) Transnet networks were shut down in the attack to prevent the spread of the malware.

(b)(i) Through the shutdown period, some terminals operated manually, while others could not operate in manual mode, given the complexity of the operations. This impacted on vessel and truck turnaround times.

(b)(ii) No long-term impact is foreseen, as catch-up planning takes place within the terminals. No IT systems were compromised or lost at Transnet Port Terminals. We have seen similar cyber-attacks on large organisations - including shipping lines - that have recovered without a long-term negative impact on trade.

 

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