Senegal’s Treasury Under Cyberattack – Third Public Institution Targeted in Six Months

Senegal’s Treasury Hit by Cyberattack as Nation Faces Third Major Digital Security Crisis in Six Months Dakar, Senegal — Senegal’s Directorate General of Public Accounting and the Treasury (DGCPT) confirmed on Monday that its information systems were disrupted by a cyberattack, marking the third significant breach targeting the country’s financial infrastructure in less than six months. The incident, which began on Sunday, affected a “significant portion” of the Treasury’s digital systems, prompting the activation of emergency business continuity protocols. In a statement, Director General Amadou Tidiane Gaye acknowledged the disruption but did not disclose the nature of the attack or specify which public services were impacted. Authorities urged the public to exercise patience as efforts to stabilize operations and contain the fallout continued. The Ministry of Finance and Budget echoed the call, emphasizing that the situation was being closely monitored. The latest attack underscores growing concerns about Senegal’s vulnerability to cyber threats, particularly within its public sector. In October 2025, the Directorate General of Taxes and State Property (DGID) suffered a high-profile cyberattack attributed to the extortion group Black Shrantac. The hackers claimed to have exfiltrated nearly one terabyte of sensitive data and demanded a $250,000 ransom, though subsequent investigations cast doubt on the scale of the breach. Tax services were restored within 24 hours, but the incident highlighted systemic weaknesses in the country’s digital defenses. February 2026 saw another major disruption when the Directorate of File Automation (DAF) was reportedly targeted in what could be one of the largest cyberattacks in Senegal’s history. Details of the incident remain limited, but the recurrence of such breaches has renewed scrutiny over the government’s preparedness to counter evolving cyber threats. The Treasury’s latest security breach comes amid broader regional trends of increasing cybercrime targeting African governments and financial institutions. While Senegal has not disclosed the exact cause or scope of the current attack, experts warn that the lack of transparency could exacerbate public distrust and hinder recovery efforts. The government has yet to specify whether the incident involved data theft, ransom demands, or other malicious activities. However, the repeated targeting of critical financial systems raises questions about the adequacy of existing cybersecurity measures and whether additional safeguards are needed to protect sensitive state infrastructure. As of Tuesday, the Treasury remained focused on restoring normal operations while assessing the full impact of the breach. Authorities have not provided a timeline for full system recovery, but officials have reiterated their commitment to strengthening digital resilience in the face of persistent cyber threats.