by MTHULISI SIBANDA
JOHANNESBURG, (CAJ News) – ETHIOPIA, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Angola and Mozambique, in that order, are the countries most targeted by cyber crime on the continent.
This is according to Check Point Research, the threat intelligence arm of Check Point Software Technologies, which has released its Global Threat Intelligence Insights for May 2026.
It reveals a global average of 2 055 cyber attacks per organisation per week, representing a 2 percent increase year on year.
Latin America remained the most targeted region, recording an average of 3 149 weekly attacks per organisation and a 13 percent year-on-year increase.
Africa followed at just under 3 000 attacks per organisation per week.
Angola and Nigeria recorded attack levels double the global average, at 4 046 and 3 941 attacks per organisation per week respectively.
These figures compare with Kenya and South Africa, whose organisations faced 2 443 and 1 738 attacks per week respectively.
While Africa recorded a year-on-year decline in overall attack activity, it remains among the most targeted regions globally.
This is due to persistently high attack volumes, expanding ransomware activity, hacktivist campaigns and increasingly sophisticated AI-enabled threats, all of which contribute to significant cyber risk for African organisations in both the public and private sectors.
“May’s numbers show that attackers are continuously adapting, shifting their timing and techniques rather than slowing down,” said Omer Dembinsky, Data Research Manager at Check Point Research.
“As ransomware scales and GenAI adoption accelerates across enterprises, organisations must assume constant exposure and prioritise prevention-first, AI-driven security strategies that can stop threats before impact.”
For Africa, the composition of attacks has changed. Threat activity has shifted away from mass disruption towards financially motivated operations, reinforcing a trend that security teams across the continent have observed throughout the past year.
“Ransomware groups continue to apply sustained pressure on African organisations,” said Hendrik de Bruin, Head of Security Consulting: Africa at Check Point Software.
Business Services and Financial Services emerged among the most frequently targeted sectors in Africa.
– CAJ News