The last few years have seen an explosion of cybercrime worldwide. The number of successful cyberattacks has more than doubled in the past five years. This concerning trend is also evident in Africa.

In 2023, the continent recorded the highest number of cyberattacks per week per organization.

These cyber incidents can have disastrous consequences for businesses and governments, ranging from the disruption of business operations to massive theft of funds and the leakage of sensitive data.

According to the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, the lack of preparedness against cyber threats could cost an average of up to 10% of the GDP of African countries annually.

Social engineering is involved in 52% of successful attacks against organizations and 91% against individuals in Africa.

Approximately 29% of these attacks use fake sites that mimic authentication pages of companies, banks, or payment systems.

One of the main challenges for the continent lies in the inadequacy of cybersecurity infrastructure.

Almost 90% of African companies do not have cybersecurity protocols, making them extremely vulnerable to attacks.

In light of this critical situation, experts are calling for a reform of the cybersecurity approach in Africa as the continent embarks on a digital transformation.

Article source:africanews