6 days Ago By Folake Balogun
There was a 14 percent increase in spyware attack detection on businesses in the African region from 2023 to 2024, according to Kaspersky. This spike in threats was related to a surge in data theft attempts, the cybersecurity firm noted. “Spyware is secretly installed on a user’s computer to monitor their actions and collect their data,” it said.
Aside from the growth in spyware, there was a 26 percent increase in password-stealing detections. Password stealers are a type of malware designed to harvest login credentials and other sensitive data. Maher Yamout, lead cybersecurity researcher at Kaspersky Global Research and Analysis Team, said, “Our statistics show an increase in attack detections for several types of cyberthreats, and the factors driving these increases are multifaceted.
“In the B2B sector, the continuing shift toward hybrid work models and the rush to digitise operations, often outpacing cybersecurity investments, may leave businesses in Africa exposed to advanced persistent threats.” According to him, the explosion of digital financial services and low digital literacy rates make individuals prime targets for opportunistic attacks in the B2C space. Read also: Nigeria ranks 14th on global cyberattack risk index A total of 131,580,587 web threats were detected last year in Africa, including almost 20 million attack attempts in Kenya, almost 17 million in South Africa, and 12.
6 million in Morocco. From 2023 to 2024, businesses in Africa were targeted by web threats, on-device threats, and attacks aiming to steal data, including spyware and password stealers. Phishing and ransomware were the most significant threats in the region, with 66 million phishing link clicks recorded by Kaspersky in the region, including over 14.
8 million phishing link clicks by corporate users. Local (on-device) threat detections in organisations in the region also grew by four percent. Local (on-device) threats include malware that spreads via removable USB drives, CDs, and DVDs, or that initially makes way onto the computer in non-open form (for example, programs in complex installers, encrypted files, etc).
Nigeria (169 percent increase), Ethiopia (86 percent), South Africa (32 percent), Senegal (11 percent), and Morocco (9 percent) were among the countries that recorded growth in local threats detected in organisations. To combat these attacks, Yamout noted that organisations must collaborate, invest in specialised cybersecurity training, and promote digital literacy. “Initiatives like the African Cyber Surge operation and targeted educational programs can serve as blueprints for building a resilient digital ecosystem across the continent,” added Yamout.
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