Malawi passport-system cyberattack suspended passport issuance

Malawi's Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services reported that a cybersecurity breach disrupted passport issuance services, while the President said attackers had infiltrated the passport system and demanded a ransom. Passport processing and issuance were suspended and the e-Passport system had to be restored before printing resumed gradually in March. Earlier passport-production problems predated the breach, so the full duration of the broader passport crisis cannot be attributed solely to the cyberattack.