Freetown, 9th October, 2026 – The Ministry of Communication, Technology and Innovation has confirmed a security breach affecting Sierra Leone’s national .sl internet domain system, revealing that 44 website addresses, including a government website, were compromised on 25th September, 2026.
The Ministry stated that CoCCA domain management system, used globally to manage internet domains, was accessed without authorisation, which created a risk that visitors could be redirected to fraudulent websites.
“According to a security report published by Google on 6 October 2026, Sierra Leone was among several countries affected by a wider series of similar attacks, including Ghana and American Samoa,” the Ministry stated in a release issued today, 9th October, 2026.
The Ministry has reassured the public that the breach was detected and contained on the same day, with all affected website addresses restored to their correct settings within hours.
It also noted that immediate measures were taken to block any further unauthorised access, remove the security threat and strengthen the protection of the system. “A subsequent security review found no evidence of continuing unauthorised access as of 8 October 2026,” the Ministry said.
While the immediate threat has been contained, the Ministry stated that investigations remain ongoing to establish how the breach occurred and assess any further potential risks. “The Ministry, working with its local and international partners, continues to closely monitor the system and implement additional safeguards to reduce the risk of future attacks,” the release stated, stating that the Government remains committed to safeguarding the country’s digital infrastructure and would keep the public informed of any significant developments.
