The Communications Authority of Kenya (CAK) has warned the public and local institutions of a destructive malware targeting network systems called 'Emotet'.
According to CAK, The National Computer Incident Response Team Coordination Centre has already detected 11 cases in which the virus targeted local institutions and has been in touch with the institutions on the matter.
In a statement issued on Monday, CA Director General Tom Olwero explained that the malware is an advanced and destructive banking Trojan affecting network systems.
"It can evade typical signature-based detection and has several methods for maintaining persistence, including auto-start registry keys and services," he warned.
The malware targeting the financial sector is disseminated mainly through malicious email attachments which can manifest themselves in the form of invoices, shipping notifications, and even PayPal receipts.
It has the ability to gain access to accounts by stealing log-in credentials and hijacking online.
The virus can cause temporary or permanent loss of sensitive information and files which can affect the core operations of an organisation.
The CAK urged the public and organisations to be on the lookout for the malware.
Olwero advised organisations that suspect their machines to have been infected with the malware to scan and isolate infected computers from their network.
Institutions are also urged to install protective software to combat malware and to stick to the best practices in cybersecurity.
Between July and September 2018, the National Cyber Centre (NCC) detected over 3.8 million cyber threats, which was an increase from 3.4 million in the previous quarter.
