Kabarak University gives way forward after hackers tabled their demand

Kabarak University has announced the way forward after its Facebook account was seized by a group of cyber criminals that has been using the same to spread malicious and misleading images and content that contravenes the institution’s Christian values.

A statement released by the university’s Vice Chancellor, Prof. Henry Kiplangat assured all stakeholders that all necessary measures have been taken to regain control of the page and prevent any further unauthorized access.

“We want to assure our stakeholders and the general public that we are taking all necessary measures to regain control of our page and prevent any further unauthorized access.

"We urge our followers and prospective students to disregard information posted by these criminals and to contact us directly through our official website or other verified channels.” Read the statement in part.

The institution distanced itself from the content that has been posted by the cyber criminals.

"It is important to note that any information or advertisements posted on our Facebook page by these criminals do not represent our institution, and we dissociate ourselves from them entirely.

"We understand that this situation has caused significant disruption to our online presence through our Facebook page, and we apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we work to resolve this issue," the statement read in part.

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In the wake of the incident which resulted in the suspension of the university’s IT manager, the institution heightened its cyber security protocols.

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ICT Manager suspended as hackers table demands

Earlier on, the institution had sent out a notice stating that it had since surrendered the compromised account to the hackers and created a new one.

"Since our official page was hacked, we as the Kabarak University have decided to surrender this page to this scammer and we've been ordered to create another page.

"We've forwarded this case to the concerned authorities and the action is being undertaken. We do apologize for any inconvenience brought by the malicious act. We've decided to suspend the ICT manager till further notice. Follow our new page for new updates from the University," read the notice.

The hacker had demanded Ksh68,250 (500 dollars) to surrender the account back, before putting up another post daring the institution to recover the account.

"I will not return this account, but I challenge all of you to reclaim this account immediately-regards a student from one of Jakarta's IT-based high schools, (Indonesia)." Read the post.

The account in question is verified and 46,000 followers and 36,000 likes.