Kaspersky Sounds Alarm on Surging Cyberthreats Across Africa in First Half of 2025
The digital landscape across Africa is increasingly becoming a battleground for cybercriminals, with Kaspersky’s latest analysis for the first half of 2025 revealing a significant escalation in online and on-device attacks. Sub-Saharan Africa, in particular, bore the brunt of this surge, experiencing a staggering 42.4 million web attacks and 95.6 million on-device threats detected. These figures underscore a critical need for enhanced digital security measures as the region rapidly digitizes.
Unpacking the Evolving Threat Landscape: Regional and National Insights
Compared to the previous year, the cyberthreat landscape has grown more sophisticated and aggressive. Sub-Saharan Africa witnessed a more than double increase in spyware incidents, a 64% rise in password stealer attacks, and a 12% uptick in backdoor infections. This worrying trend highlights attackers’ growing focus on data exfiltration and persistent access across the continent.
Nigeria, a major digital economy in the region, provides a clear illustration of this heightened threat. In the first half of 2025, Kaspersky’s security solutions successfully blocked over 1.46 million online attack attempts targeting users in the country. Alarmingly, nearly one in five Nigerians (19.9%) were subjected to these digital assaults, which included prevalent threats like phishing scams, sophisticated exploits, botnet activities, Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) attacks, and network spoofing via deceptive fake Wi-Fi networks.
Furthermore, on-device incidents in Nigeria were equally concerning, with 4.97 million attacks thwarted. A substantial 28.6% of Nigerian users faced malware delivery through infected physical media such as USB drives, CDs, DVDs, and hidden installers. These on-device threats comprised a dangerous array of malicious software, including ransomware, worms, backdoors, trojans, password stealers, and spyware. Notably, Kaspersky’s data for Nigeria showed a significant 66% increase specifically in password stealer attacks during this period, emphasizing the severe risk to personal and financial information.
Kaspersky’s insights serve as a stark reminder of the escalating cyber risks facing African nations. The sheer volume and increasing sophistication of attacks, from web-based intrusions to physical malware delivery, demand a multi-faceted approach to cybersecurity. It is imperative for businesses, governments, and individual users across Africa to invest in robust security solutions, foster greater digital literacy, and adopt proactive defense strategies to safeguard against these pervasive and evolving cyberthreats.
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