Stats SA Confirms HR Database Breach as XP95 Claims Data Theft and Demands Ransom
Summary
Stats SA confirmed a breach affecting its online job-seeker HR system. XP95 is believed to be behind the attack and claims it stole 453,362 files; the group demands $100,000 to prevent their release.
Key points
- Stats SA confirmed a data breach affecting the HR system used by job seekers to apply online.
- XP95 is believed to have perpetrated the attack; its attribution has not been presented as independently confirmed.
- XP95 claims it stole 453,362 files totaling 154 GB from an unspecified Stats SA server.
- The group demands $100,000 and threatens to release the data if it is not paid by 20 April 2026.
- Stats SA said it would notify the information regulator and follow its processes.
Article Details
- Victim Organization
- Stats SA
- Incident Type
- Data breach involving the human resources system, with alleged data theft and cyber-extortion
- Affected Records
- Hackers claim to have stolen 453,362 files; this is a file count, not a confirmed number of affected records.
- Affected Data Size
- Hackers claim the stolen files total 154 GB.
- Operational Impact
- The breached system was the HR system used by job seekers to apply online. No operational disruption was described.
- Ransom Or Extortion
- The hackers demanded $100,000 (R1.7 million) to prevent public release of the data and set a 20 April 2026 payment deadline, threatening to leak the Stats SA archive if unpaid.
- Claim Status
- confirmed