Hackers took down the official website of Kenyan President William Ruto on July 18, defacing the page and demanding a ransom of five bitcoins. The attackers threatened to leak unspecified data if the payment wasn't made. Kenya's government has launched an investigation into the breach.
What happened
The website, which serves as the president's official online presence, was briefly disabled after the attack. Visitors saw a defaced page instead of the usual government content. The hackers posted a ransom note demanding five bitcoins — roughly $150,000 at current prices — and warned of a data leak if the demand was not met. The government has not said whether it will pay or if any sensitive information was actually accessed.
Government response
Kenyan authorities are investigating the incident. No official statement has been released detailing the extent of the breach or whether any data was compromised. The site has since been restored, but the attack raises questions about the security of government digital infrastructure in the country.
This is not the first time a government website has been targeted by hackers demanding crypto ransoms, but hitting the president's official site carries symbolic weight. The demand in bitcoin underscores how ransomware attackers continue to favor the cryptocurrency for its pseudonymity. The incident also puts pressure on Kenya's cybersecurity agencies to show they can protect high-profile targets.
Investigators will likely try to trace the bitcoin wallet address used in the ransom demand, though such efforts often hit dead ends. The government may also face calls to disclose whether any citizen data was actually stolen. For now, the site is back online, but the attackers remain unidentified.
