BOCRA on allegations of Presence of Predator Spyware in Botswana

Botswana Communications Regulatory Authority (BOCRA) read newspaper articles in the local print media alleging that a certain spyware known as Predator has entered Botswana.  The articles cast aspersions on BOCRA for failing to intercept the spyware and goes further to suggest that Botswana has turned into a hub for prohibited cyber activities.  The article references BOCRA’s Consumer/Operator Perception Survey of 2022 to support its view. The 2022 survey report is available on the website www.bocra.org.bw under documents for reference. 

While BOCRA welcomes and encourages media coverage around its regulatory mandate and the communications sector issues, it is concerned that the reports on the Predator spyware are not factual and have potential to cause unwarranted alarm. It is for this reason that BOCRA wishes to share with readers its perspective on the matter.

First, BOCRA conducts Consumer/Operator Perception Survey biennially to obtain the needs, concerns, views, perceptions and even satisfaction levels of consumers, operators, and other stakeholders on regulated services.  However, the inference that the survey found that BOCRA slept on the job while Botswana became a hub of prohibited cybercrime activities is not only misleading, but it is also not a finding of the Consumer/Operator Perception Survey report.

Botswana has a facility called the Computer Security Incident Response Team (C-SIRT) under management of BOCRA.  A C-SIRT is a dedicated facility that houses IT professionals and computer security infrastructure whose main purpose is to monitor, manage and coordinate response to cybercrime related incidents.  Through the C-SIRT, BOCRA continuously scans the local internet domains for computer crime and security threats, raises alarm and works with affected entities to remedy the situation.  A scan of the local internet domains was conducted following media reports of the Predator spyware but no evidence of existence of the spyware was established in Botswana networks.

BOCRA, further engaged Recorded Future’s Insikt Group, which is behind the report referenced by the media.  In the engagement, Insikt Group could not confirm presence of the Predator spyware in Botswana.  The Group highlighted that its report only mentions that “the infrastructure is believed to be in use in at least Eleven countries including Botswana”.  Recorded Future’s Insikt Group added that it made the statement based on previous findings where Predator software has been observed to attack networks and devices through fake websites that mimic or imitate genuine Botswana websites.  However, those fake websites are hosted outside Botswana. 

BOCRA continues to be vigilant in monitoring the local cyberspace. As a member of Forum of Incident Response and Security Teams (FIRST), BOCRA collaborates with international partners in the fight against global cybercrime activities.   BOCRA assures the public that the Botswana cyber space is secure and not a hub for prohibited cybercrime activities as reported in the media.