West Africa Grapples with Prolonged DDoS Attacks, Endurance Test Uncovered
The digital landscape of West Africa is under increasing pressure from sophisticated cyber threats. While the frequency of attacks grabs attention, a concerning trend has emerged: persistent, long-duration distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks that can cripple essential services for extended periods. This quiet assault tests the resilience of critical infrastructure, highlighting the region’s vulnerability.
NETSCOUT SYSTEMS, INC.’s recent global threat intelligence report sheds light on this concerning development. The report reveals that Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, and Mali experienced extended DDoS incidents during the first half of 2025. These incidents effectively served as an endurance test for the digital infrastructure of these nations. Côte d’Ivoire bore the brunt of the attacks, enduring the longest DDoS attacks with an average duration exceeding 415 minutes, almost seven hours. Burkina Faso followed, with attacks lasting an average of 356.49 minutes (close to six hours), and Mali’s digital infrastructure withstood attacks averaging 336.63 minutes (over 5.5 hours). Bryan Hamman, NETSCOUT’s regional director for Africa, emphasized that these prolonged attacks highlight the challenges facing West African countries.
These findings highlight the increasing sophistication and tenacity of cybercriminals targeting West African nations. This trend demands heightened vigilance and proactive measures to safeguard digital resources and maintain the availability of crucial online services across the region.
Keywords
Related Keywords: NETSCOUT DDoS report, West Africa DDoS attacks, DDoS endurance test, threat intelligence, network security, DDoS mitigation, cybersecurity threats, Africa cyberattacks, NETSCOUT, distributed denial of service
