The recent Senegal cyberattack on the Directorate of File Automation (DAF) has done more than disrupt government services. It has exposed how vulnerable the country’s most sensitive data systems really are, and why cybersecurity can no longer be treated as a technical issue handled quietly in the background.

DAF, the government agency responsible for managing national ID cards, passports, biometric records, and electoral data, was forced to temporarily shut down operations after detecting a cyber incident.

For millions of Senegalese citizens, this means delays in accessing essential identity services. For the country, it raises far bigger concerns about data security and national trust...