ZAMMSA Server Crash Disrupts Key Services; Payroll Restored, Investigation Underway
The Zambia Medicines and Medical Supplies Agency (ZAMMSA) has confirmed a significant server crash in October 2024, impacting essential operations, including payroll and the Sage ERP system.
The crash disrupted services and led to data compromise, with preliminary investigations revealing tampering with accounting records and server logs dating from 2020 to 2024.
Bradley Chingobe, Senior Manager of Corporate Communications at ZAMMSA, reported that the matter has been escalated to the Zambia Information Communication Technology Authority’s (ZICTA) Cyber Incident Response Team (CIRT) for further investigation.
The ZAMMSA ICT team swiftly restored the payroll system, ensuring that October salaries were disbursed on schedule. The Agency was able to recover most of the affected data due to an ongoing server migration process that began before the crash.
“We will only fully understand the cause and consequences of the crash once the investigations are complete. Based on the findings, appropriate measures will be implemented,” said Chingobe.
The Agency emphasized its commitment to robust data security measures and its ongoing collaboration with ZICTA and other authorities to prevent future disruptions.
