Directorate of File Automation

Profile narrative

The Directorate of File Automation (DAF) is a Senegalese government body responsible for managing the nation's digital identity infrastructure, including the national biometric database, immigration records, and birth certificate registry. It oversees the issuance of national identification cards and ensures the automation of file processing for civil registration and immigration services. The agency operates under the authority of the Senegalese state and provides services to citizens, residents, and government departments that rely on verified identity data. Its core function is to maintain secure, automated systems that store and retrieve personal data for administrative and security purposes. By centralising biometric and civil data, DAF supports the country's efforts to streamline public service delivery and strengthen identity verification. The organisation's mandate includes safeguarding the confidentiality and integrity of the information it holds.

The breach disclosed on 2026-01-19 indicates that DAF's systems contain data for nearly twenty million residents, suggesting a national‑scale repository covering the majority of Senegal's population. The attackers exfiltrated approximately 139 gigabytes of biometric data, immigration records, and birth certificates, which they later published on a dark‑web leak site. The intrusion compromised at least two servers—a domain controller and a personal data server—disrupting operations for a minimum of five days and prompting the agency to suspend new national ID card production. Following the leak, DAF publicly acknowledged the incident and highlighted concerns about the confidentiality and trustworthiness of the state's digital identity system. The event underscored the critical role DAF plays in protecting personal information and the potential consequences of security failures in national identity management. These facts constitute the publicly known profile of the Directorate of File Automation based on the available information.

Incidents

1 incident linked to this organisation.