DA warns Ndabeni-Abrahams over ‘hacked’ WhatsApp account

There better not be evidence of corruption or any abuse of power, the DA has warned after Communications Minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams announced she had been hacked.

Ndabeni-Abrahams’ office took to Twitter to announce that her WhatsApp account had been hacked and a third party gained access to private information contained therein.

Shadow Communications Minister in the DA Phumzile van Damme said while she sympathised with the official, if incriminating leaks were to follow, the party would not hesitate to act.

“While WhatsApp hacking is something that is appalling particularly if its object can be described as nudity or of a sexual nature to humiliate someone. This is a crime punishable by law. We hope that the Minister will not be subjected to that, ” said Van Damme.

“That being said, the hacking remains an allegation until proven thus by the relevant law enforcement. If the information ‘leaked’ from her WhatsApp relates to any corruption, abuse of power and any other illegal and unethical content, it can be seen as in the public interest. If found, we will not hesitate to follow the processes to have her held accountable.”

According to tech publication Makeuseof.com, there were several common ways the popular messaging app could be hacked, including the use of hidden code in GIF images to control the target’s Whatsapp remotely. A 2019 discovery found that hackers could use voice calls to gain access to the user’s account using a method known as the Pegasus Voice-Call Attack.

Cyber security expert Basie Von Solms of the University of Johannesburg says Ndabeni-Abrahams’ ordeal was an example of a policy issue and not a technological one when it comes to protecting public officials such as ministers from such hacks.

“What I am reading on the news is that (Ndabeni-Abrahams) was using the phone for both personal and official use. If that is the case, that is one example of a policy issue when it comes to cyber security in government.”

He said better oversight should be embarked upon which will prevent officials from using their work phones to communicate on apps such as WhatsApp which are highly susceptible to security breaches.

“I am not amazed when these things happen because cyber security should not only be based on technological protection measures but also on strong procedures, policies and protocol. Often this last aspect is not enforced strongly enough,” he added, though with a qualifier that no cyber security measure can protect any software system 100%.

100% cyber security is an illusion, he said.

The news of the leak follows a turbulent year so far for the minister who was in hot water during the first few weeks of the initial lockdown period this year. She was caught lunching with former minister Mduduzi Manana who posted pictures of the event at his home, showing Ndabeni-Abrahams flouting Covid-19 regulations.

Though the pair claimed they met that day to conduct a mask drive for disadvantaged youth, President Cyril Ramaphosa disciplined Ndabeni-Abrahams, putting her on two months unpaid and partially paid leave for the misdeed.

Currently, the minister is facing allegations that she tried to influence a tender process at the SA Post Office by arranging a meeting between the state entity’s senior managers and a businessman known to be a friend of hers.

According to The Star’s expose on the matter, Ndabeni-Abrahams allegedly abused her power by introducing businessman Andile Ngcaba, who chairs a private equity firm, to Post Office executives in an alleged attempt to partner on a R2.1billion e-commerce platform.

Simnikiwewh@citizen.co.za

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