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Nigeria ranks 50th among countries facing highest online threats

By Adeyemi Adepetun
07 June 2023   |   12:59 pm
Among countries facing highest and fiercest online threats, Nigeria has ranked 50th globally.

Cyberthreats

• Cybercriminals launched 46,000 spyware attack attempts on Nigeria in Q1
• Lagos partners Dubai World Trade Centre
• Empowers Nigerian Startups for Global Success at GITEX Africa Morocco

Among countries facing highest and fiercest online threats, Nigeria has ranked 50th globally.

This is according to latest data from Kaspersky Security Network (KSN), which also informed that South Africa ranked 82nd and Kenya 35th, making them focal points for cyber threats.

In a presentation made at the just concluded GITEX Africa summit in Morocco, Head of Global Research and Analysis Team (GReAT) for META at Kaspersky, Dr Amin Hasbini, spoke of several cyber threat trends, cautioning business and technology leaders on two primary forms of attacks – criminal and advanced.

“Criminal attacks are mainly driven by the pursuit of financial profit, whereas advanced attacks indicate how cyber threat actors continually adapt their tactics and tools to breach security measures. A significant portion of the attacks witnessed across Africa is shaped by the rapidly changing geopolitical landscape. However, a growing concern is that cybercriminals are learning from successful advanced attacks to refine their craft,” said Hasbini.

According to him, in the first quarter of 2023, Kaspersky reported that backdoor and spyware attacks were the most common threat types in South Africa, reaching 106,000 attempts.

Similar attempts were observed in Nigeria, totaling 46,000, while the same type of attacks peaked at 143,000 in Kenya. However, in Kenya, exploits emerged as the most dominant form of attack with 177,000 incidents blocked.

Kaspersky also highlighted the growing surge of zombie machines – a connected device that becomes part of a botnet. Examples include legacy, old and forgotten devices, IoT devices, network equipment, printers, cameras, even coffee machines. In the year to date, 1.6 million zombie machines have been detected in South Africa and 300,000 in Kenya.

Meanwhile, in demonstration of its commitment to fostering innovation and entrepreneurship, Lagos State government, in partnership with the Dubai World Trade Centre, has sponsored 25 exceptional startups to participate at Gitex Africa Morocco.

The startups include Pocket Food, Access Tech, Printivo, Startup Lagos, Eko Institute of Technology, Kirgawa, Qore, Imperial EdTech, Bunce, Etaps, and Innovia Labs.

Gitex Africa Morocco is the largest and most influential tech and startup event in Africa. The prestigious event, renowned for showcasing technological advancements, innovations, and digital transformation, provides a platform for these Nigerian startups to pitch their ideas, connect with investors, and network with industry leaders on a global scale.

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