SARS says it continuously monitors its systems for any suspicious activity.. (Image: Unicus Tax Specialists SA)
The South African Revenue Service (SARS) says claims its systems have been breached are false and unsubstantiated.
This, after social media reports emerged at the weekend that both SARS and the State Information Technology Agency’s ICT systems had been compromised.
In a statement this afternoon, SARS says it continuously monitors its systems for any suspicious activity and has conducted a “thorough investigation” in response to the reports.
The taxman emphasises that it treats the protection of taxpayer information and the security of its digital platforms as “sacrosanct and as its core responsibility”.
SARS has also urged members of the public to verify information before sharing and not to circulate unverified claims or rely on information from unofficial sources.
Claims of attacks on SARS’s systems come amid an escalation and sustained pattern of data breaches targeting critical institutions across the country.
Standard Bank last month confirmed a data breach involving unauthorised access to certain client information, including personal identifiers, while stressing that core banking systems were not compromised.
Its subsidiary Liberty Group also experienced a related incident exposing customer data, prompting forensic investigations.
In the public sector, Statistics South Africa reported a cyber security breach affecting internal HR systems, raising concerns about government exposure.
Polmed, the medical aid scheme for members of the South African Police Service, disclosed a potential data breach involving sensitive member information, further underscoring the vulnerability of healthcare and financial data.
Cyber security company Surfshark’s quarterly analysis of global data breaches shows South Africa ranks as the 42nd most breached country in first quarter of this year.
