KAMPALA, Uganda — Uganda’s Next Media has confirmed that hackers gained unauthorised access to several of its social media accounts, affecting platforms belonging to NBS Television, Next Radio and AfroMobile.
In a security notice issued on Wednesday, August 5, the media company said the cyberattack occurred within the previous 12 hours and resulted in the temporary takeover of the affected accounts.
“Next Media confirms unauthorised access to the NBS, AfroMobile and Next Radio social media accounts within the past 12 hours,” the company said.
The company said it had regained control of the AfroMobile account and removed unauthorised content posted by the attackers.
However, the social media accounts for NBS Television and Next Radio remained compromised at the time the statement was issued.
“Posts made on these accounts during this period do not represent Next Media,” the company said.
Next Media urged its audiences to disregard any suspicious posts, messages or requests for personal information published through the affected accounts until full control is restored.
The company did not disclose how the attackers gained access or whether any internal systems or user data had been compromised.
Earlier on Wednesday, users observed unusual activity on the official NBS Television X account, including changes to its profile description and other visible account details.
The account, which has more than two million followers, appeared to have been altered by the attackers before Next Media publicly acknowledged the breach.
The company said efforts to recover the remaining compromised accounts were ongoing.
Next Media is one of Uganda’s largest multimedia organisations, operating NBS Television, Next Radio, AfroMobile and several digital media platforms with millions of followers across social media.
High-profile social media accounts increasingly targeted by hackers
The breach at Next Media adds to a growing list of high-profile organisations and public institutions whose social media accounts have been compromised in recent years, highlighting the increasing cyber risks facing media houses and public institutions worldwide.
In January 2024, hackers briefly took control of the official X account of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), falsely claiming the regulator had approved spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds.
The fake announcement briefly triggered sharp movements in cryptocurrency markets before the SEC regained control of the account and confirmed the post was fraudulent.
Investigators later attributed the breach to a SIM-swapping attack after hackers gained control of a phone number linked to the account.
The SEC also acknowledged that multi-factor authentication had not been enabled on the account at the time of the breach.
Also Read: President Ruto’s official website hacked, attackers demand KSh41m in Bitcoin
Media organisations have also increasingly found themselves in the crosshairs of cybercriminals. High-profile news outlets, broadcasters, government agencies and multinational organisations have repeatedly reported attempts to hijack verified social media accounts, often to spread false information, promote cryptocurrency scams or impersonate trusted institutions.
Security experts warn that verified accounts belonging to news organisations are particularly attractive targets because of the credibility they carry and the speed with which misinformation can spread once they are compromised.
Cybersecurity specialists say organisations can significantly reduce the risk of account takeovers by enforcing multi-factor authentication, limiting administrator privileges, regularly reviewing access permissions, monitoring suspicious login activity and training staff against phishing and social engineering attacks.
While no system is completely immune, these measures remain among the most effective defences against unauthorised access to high-profile digital platforms.
The incident also underscores the growing cybersecurity risks facing media organisations whose verified social media platforms have become increasingly attractive targets for hackers seeking to spread misinformation, promote financial scams or undermine public trust.
As newsrooms rely more heavily on digital platforms to deliver breaking news, cybersecurity experts say protecting official accounts through strong authentication measures, continuous monitoring and rapid incident response has become as critical as safeguarding traditional newsroom infrastructure.
