2026 Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) — HR platform breach (XP95; ~154GB claimed)
Data compromised
Job-seeker / HR application data per agency; full categories under investigation
Technical writeup
Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) confirmed a cyber incident in late March 2026 affecting an internal human-resources platform used by job applicants—not core national statistical databases. Press reporting linked the extortion group XP95, with public claims of roughly 154 GB across hundreds of thousands of files and a ransom demand with an April 2026 deadline. Stats SA stated it would notify South Africa’s Information Regulator and follow POPIA processes. Victim counts for individuals were not finalized in early reporting.
Root cause
Cyber extortion; unauthorized access to HR application platform (group attribution per press)