from DION HENRICK in Cape Town
Western Cape Bureau
CAPE TOWN, (CAJ News) – CYBERSECURITY threats are intensifying across Africa, with several countries prominently featured in the global rankings for cyberattacks.
Check Point Software, an artificial intelligence-powered cloud-delivered cybersecurity platform provider, has revealed the trend in its Global Threat Index for July 2024.
According to Check Point’s latest data, Ethiopia holds the top spot among all the countries surveyed with a Normalised Risk Index of 78.9, highlighting its vulnerability to cyberthreats.
Zimbabwe ranks as the third most attacked country globally, while Nigeria is in 19th position.
Kenya and Ghana have also experienced significant increases, ranking 11th and 15th, respectively, indicating the growing cyber threats across the continent.
South Africa has moved up in the rankings, now placing 59th globally.
Other African countries placed in the Top 20 most vulnerable to malware attacks are Maldives (4th), Angola (5th) and Mauritius (9th).
Issam El Haddioui, Check Point Head: Security Engineering, Europe, Middle East and Africa, said these rankings highlighted the urgent need for enhanced cybersecurity measures for African businesses and organisations.
“The evolving threat landscape, coupled with recent vulnerabilities like the CrowdStrike Falcon sensor exploit, continues to pose significant risk,” El Haddioui said.
The most prevalent malware in Africa are FakeUpdates, Remcos, Qbot, Phorpiex and Vidar.
Government/military, finance/banking, utilities, communications and education/research institutions are at most risk of attacks.
– CAJ News