Justice and Constitutional Development services offline due to Windows system error

The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development (DoJ&CD) says a system error has taken its services offline, with restoration efforts expected to continue over the coming days.

 This comes as a global Windows 11 system error, following a recent Microsoft patch update was causing problems affecting numerous organisations worldwide, the department said. 

According to reports, after installing the update, users noticed that they could no longer connect to apps using the local host. If apps can’t connect using localhost, certain programmes might stop working. 

“The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development (DoJ&CD) wishes to inform the public that it has been affected by a global Windows 11 system error following a recent Microsoft patch update. This is a widespread issue that has impacted numerous organisations worldwide and has resulted in system failures and operational disruptions across several environments,” DoJ&CD spokesperson, Samuel Modipane said. 

The DoJ&CD said it was working closely with Microsoft engineers to restore affected devices and services as a matter of urgency. 

“Restoration efforts are currently underway and will continue over the coming days and weeks. The Department regrets the inconvenience caused to members of the public and stakeholders, and assures all concerned that every effort is being made to fully restore services as soon as possible,” Modipane added.

In 2021, the department's Information Technology systems were also interrupted due to a security breach.  The breach was carried out using ransomware. At the time, all electronic services provided by the Department were affected, including, issuing of letters of authority, bail services, email, and the departmental website. 

Cape Times