Johannesburg - Many Joburgers freezing in the cold on Thursday were frustrated at not being able to buy electricity on the City Power website after it was hit by a virus.
The power utility wrote on its Twitter account that they had been hit by a Ransomware virus which encrypted all their database, applications and network.
"Currently our ICT department is cleaning and rebuilding all impacted applications. Customers may not be able to visit our website and may not be able to buy electricity units until our ICT department has sorted the matter out. Customers and stakeholders will be updated as and when new information becomes available," they tweeted.
Wikipedia describes Ransomware as a type of malware from cryptovirology that threatens to publish the victim's data or perpetually block access to it unless a ransom is paid.
The virus hit the website a day after City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena advised consumers to use electricity sparingly as the network was under pressure due to the freezing temperatures currently gripping Joburg.