Namibian cybersecurity risks remain elevated – NAM-CSIRT

The Namibia Cyber Security Incident Response Team (NAM-CSIRT), housed under the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN), has recorded 506 143 cyber vulnerabilities and 163 053 cyber events across Namibia’s cyber landscape during the third quarter of 2026.

The findings highlight the continued need for organisations to strengthen their cybersecurity measures and protect their systems against evolving cyber threats.

According to the NAM-CSIRT Cybersecurity Constituent Newsletter, covering the period July to September 2026, the number of detected cyber vulnerabilities decreased by approximately 1.5%, from 513 921 recorded in the previous quarter.

However, cyber events increased slightly by 0.93%, from 161 547 to 163 053, indicating that cybersecurity risks remain a concern.

Open CWMP remained the most frequently detected vulnerability, with 320 664 detections during the quarter.

NTP Version Report recorded 50 103 detections, while Accessible Telnet increased from 42 941 to
49 533.

Open SNMP also increased from 22 989 to 24 008 detections, while Accessible Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) increased from 6 763 to 7 537.

In addition, these findings show that exposed remote-management services and outdated or weakly secured systems continue to present risks.

NAM-CSIRT advises organisations to disable unnecessary services, apply security updates, strengthen access controls and avoid exposing sensitive management systems directly to the internet.

Cyber events during the quarter were mainly driven by sinkhole-related activity.

Sinkhole HTTP events increased from 109 593 to 115,063, while Sinkhole non-HTTP events rose from 39 593 to 45 552. These events indicate continued communication attempts between suspicious systems and known malicious infrastructure.

Although DDoS-related activity decreased, scanning and probing of internet-facing systems continued.

The quarter also highlighted the emergence of new ransomware and data-extortion groups, including Emperador, n0n and EndZone.

These groups use different methods to steal sensitive information and threaten to publish it unless victims meet their demands.

The newsletter notes that n0n had already targeted an African organisation, an information technology services and document-processing company in Mali, while EndZone has been associated with attacks targeting organisations through trusted contractors and service partners.

NAM-CSIRT further highlighted critical vulnerabilities affecting Microsoft SharePoint Server and VMware vCenter environments.

The Microsoft SharePoint vulnerability, identified as CVE-2026-50522, may allow attackers to execute malicious code remotely on vulnerable systems. The VMware vCenter vulnerabilities, CVE-2026-59309 and CVE-2026-59310, may allow unauthorised access and remote code execution.

Organisations using affected systems are urged to apply the relevant security updates and restrict access to management interfaces.

The newsletter also examines two cybersecurity incidents involving the Ministry of Defence and Veterans Affairs and the RelyComply anti-money laundering platform.

These cases highlight the risks associated with sensitive government information and third-party service providers.

They reinforce the importance of tested incident-response procedures, secure and tested backups, multi-factor authentication, network segmentation and effective third-party risk management.

Moreover, as part of its ongoing capacity-building and awareness initiatives, CRAN, in collaboration with NAM-CSIRT, hosted a Media Day Engagement on Cyber Security on 4 August 2026 at The Village Restaurant in Windhoek.

The engagement brought together media representatives for practical sessions on cybersecurity threats, incident response, simulations and crisis management.

The initiative supported efforts to strengthen the media’s understanding of cyber risks and promote accurate and timely cybersecurity information to the public.

Mufaro Nesongano, Executive: Communication and Consumer Relations, emphasised the importance of continued vigilance, collaboration and proactive cybersecurity measures in protecting Namibia’s digital environment.

“Organisations must remain vigilant and take proactive steps to protect their systems.Timely security updates, secure configurations, strong access controls and continuous monitoring are essential to reducing exposure to cyber threats. We encourage government institutions, the private sector and the public to stay informed and adopt responsible cybersecurity practices,” said Nesongano.

In conclusion, individuals are reminded to exercise caution when opening email attachments, particularly unexpected files or messages that create a sense of urgency.

Users should verify suspicious messages, keep software updated and report suspected phishing attempts.

Organisations responsible for developing and maintaining digital platforms are encouraged to strengthen application security and conduct regular vulnerability assessments to address risks such as SQL injection.

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