Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) has suspended deputy vice-chancellor Professor Bhekisipho Twala over a data breach that resulted in “hundreds of thousands” of records being stolen, News24 reports.
The hack reportedly occurred on 17 December 2023, and Twala allegedly failed to address the attack or manage its aftermath.
Twala heads the institution’s digital transformation portfolio and is considered one of the country’s leading artificial intelligence and data science experts.
While still unconfirmed, suspicions suggest that the ransomware group Rhysida carried out the attack. Its previous work includes claiming responsibility for the cyber attack on the British Library in November 2023.