Kaspersky Reveals Alarming Rise in Cyber Attacks Against African Companies at GITEX Africa
Global cybersecurity leader Kaspersky unveiled a comprehensive report detailing the digital threat landscape facing the African continent during its participation in GITEX Africa, held in Morocco. The report emphasizes the ongoing increase in cyberattacks, which are increasingly threatening organizations and individuals across the continent.
According to data referenced in the report, collected from the Kaspersky Security Network (KSN), a total of 131,580,587 cyber threats were recorded in Africa in 2024, marking a 1.2% increase compared to 2023. The report highlights that countries such as Kenya, South Africa, Morocco, and Nigeria topped the list of nations most exposed to cyberattacks.
The report noted a 14% increase in attacks related to spyware targeting enterprises, which are malicious software designed to monitor digital activities and steal sensitive information without the user’s knowledge. There was also a 26% increase in attacks using password theft software, signaling an evolution in tactics employed by hackers to breach electronic systems.
Local threats that directly target devices via removable storage or encrypted files also rose by 4% among organizations on the continent during the same period, with notable rates in countries including Morocco, Senegal, Nigeria, South Africa, and Ethiopia.
Commenting on the report’s findings, Maher Yamout, senior researcher in Kaspersky’s Global Research and Analysis Team, stated that “the rapid digital transformation in Africa has provided significant economic opportunities, but at the same time, it has increased the vulnerability of systems to cyberattacks.” He added that the frequency of attacks has become more diverse and complex, particularly with the adoption of hybrid work models and the expansion of digital services without corresponding investments in cybersecurity infrastructure.
Yamout called for an integrated approach to address these challenges, focusing on enhancing collaboration among organizations, intensifying training and education programs, and fostering a digital culture among users. He praised initiatives like “Cyber Surge” in Africa, which serve as successful models for enhancing digital security on the continent.
In light of increasing digital threats, Kaspersky recommends individuals take a series of essential steps to bolster their cybersecurity, including downloading applications exclusively from trusted stores, avoiding clicking on suspicious links or unreliable advertisements, utilizing strong and unique passwords, enabling two-factor authentication whenever possible, and implementing advanced security solutions such as “Kaspersky Premium,” which provides comprehensive protection against viruses and malware. Equally important is regularly updating operating systems and applications to benefit from the latest security patches.
For institutions, Kaspersky emphasizes the necessity of updating all software and applying effective security measures across various devices used within the workplace. It also recommends restricting the use of remote desktop protocol (RDP) and ensuring it is well secured, alongside adopting professional protection solutions such as “Kaspersky NEXT EDR Expert,” which offers comprehensive visibility of endpoints within the network and aids in swiftly detecting and addressing complex threats. Additional recommendations include leveraging “Threat Intelligence” reports to understand hacker methodologies and implementing regular data backups while ensuring their protection and easy recovery when needed.
