Sierra Leone confirms breach of national .sl internet domain system

Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Communication, Technology and Innovation has confirmed a security breach of the national ‘.sl’ internet domain system. The unauthorized access occurred on September 25, 2026, via the CoCCA domain management system, which is used globally for domain administration.

Forty-four website addresses were compromised, including one government portal and various commercial sites. The breach created a risk where visitors could have been redirected to fraudulent websites. According to a Google security report released on October 6, 2026, the incident in Sierra Leone was part of a broader series of cyberattacks affecting other regions, including Ghana and American Samoa.

Officials stated the breach was detected and contained on the same day it occurred, with all affected addresses restored to their correct settings within hours. A security review completed on October 8, 2026, showed no evidence of continuing unauthorized access. Investigations are ongoing to determine the exact cause of the breach and to strengthen digital infrastructure protections.