by TINTSWALO BALOYI
JOHANNESBURG, (CAJ News) – EIGHT African countries are listed among the top 20 most attacked by cyber criminals in the Global Threat Index for December 2024, released by Check Point Software Technologies.
The index emphasises the growing sophistication of cyber criminals.
Ethiopia retained its top spot as the most attacked country with a 98,2 percent Normalised Risk Index, out of the 106 countries featured.
Other African countries are Uganda at eighth place (index of 68,2 percent), Angola at ninth (66,2), Ghana at 11th (62,7), Nigeria at 13th (62,3) and Kenya at 17th (57,6).
Mozambique comes in at position 18 (56,9) and in 20th position is Ivory Coast, with a 55,6 percent Normalised Risk Index.
In December, the malware focus was on the rise of FunkSec, an emerging ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) operator leveraging artificial intelligence, alongside persistent threats from malware families like FakeUpdates and AgentTesla.
Data from ransomware “shame sites” reveals FunkSec as the most active group in December, responsible for 14 percent of all published attacks.
Maya Horowitz, Vice President of Research at Check Point Software, said the latest trends in cyber crime underscore the importance of vigilance and innovation in cyber security.
“Organisations must leverage advanced threat prevention measures to protect themselves against the evolving landscape of sophisticated attacks,” Horowitz said.
– CAJ News