According to the latest data from the Kaspersky Security Network, African countries are experiencing a growing prevalence of cyber threats. Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa are prominently ranked in the global top 100 for online threats, with Kenya at 35th, Nigeria at 50th, and South Africa at 82nd.
In the first quarter of 2023, Kaspersky reported that South Africa faced the highest number of backdoor and spyware attacks, with 106,000 attack attempts. Nigeria encountered 46,000 similar attacks, while Kenya experienced a peak of 143,000 of these attacks.
Exploits emerged as the dominant form of attack in Kenya, with 177,000 incidents blocked. Additionally, Kaspersky highlighted the rising number of zombie machines, which are connected devices that become part of a botnet. South Africa detected 1.6 million zombie machines, while Kenya identified 300,000.
Dr. Amin Hasbini, Head of the Global Research & Analysis Team for META at Kaspersky, emphasized that criminal attacks primarily aim for financial profit, while advanced attacks demonstrate the ability of cyber threat actors to adapt and breach security measures. Hasbini expressed concern that cybercriminals are learning from successful advanced attacks, refining their techniques accordingly.
To counter these increasingly sophisticated cyber threats, Kaspersky recommended that businesses adopt a multi-layered defensive strategy to enhance their security posture. This approach can help mitigate risks and safeguard critical infrastructure, financial institutions, government entities, and service providers, which have been prime targets for cyberattacks.
