Security Concerns Hinder Progress in Papua New Guinea’s Resource Sectors Despite Growth Potential

The Internal Revenue Commission (IRC) of Papua New Guinea has confirmed that taxpayer data remains secure despite a recent cyberattack that disrupted its core tax administration system, the Standard Integrated Government Tax Administration System (SIGTAS). While the system has been restored and is now operational, officials acknowledged that a limited amount of internal data may have been accessed during the breach.

Typical hacking system [graphics AI ]

According to IRC officials, SIGTAS was brought back to full functionality by Thursday of last week, though the system is still experiencing slower-than-usual performance. “Since it just came back online, the system is somewhat slow, but it will stabilize over time,” an official stated. The outage lasted nearly two weeks, beginning on January 28, raising concerns about potential risks to sensitive taxpayer information.

In a statement released last week, Commissioner General Sam Koim revealed that the primary impact of the attack involved the encryption of virtualization servers by unauthorized actors. Despite the severity of the breach, Koim emphasized that the IRC did not engage with any ransom demands. Instead, the organization focused on a structured recovery process, implementing enhanced security measures to prevent future incidents.

Koim reassured key stakeholders and service providers whose systems are interoperable with the IRC that there was no disruption to the integration or functionality of these systems. He confirmed that data exchanges, transactions, and communications between the IRC and its partners remained secure and uninterrupted throughout the incident.

Following the detection of the breach, the IRC enlisted KPMG to conduct a comprehensive forensic investigation and assist with remediation efforts. Koim reiterated that managing the security incident has been the IRC’s top priority, with data protection at the forefront of their response strategy.

“The security of taxpayer information and the integrity of our systems remain our highest priorities,” Koim stated. “We are confident that the measures we have put in place will ensure the continued reliability and safety of SIGTAS.”

The IRC’s proactive approach underscores its commitment to safeguarding sensitive data while restoring full operational capacity. This incident serves as a reminder of the growing importance of cybersecurity in protecting critical infrastructure like tax systems in Papua New Guinea and beyond.

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Security Concerns Hinder Progress in Papua New Guinea’s Resource Sectors Despite Growth Potential