Cyberattacks across Sub-Saharan Africa surged dramatically in the first half of 2025, with over 42.4 million web attacks and 95.6 million on-device attacks detected, according to figures released by Kaspersky ahead of its participation in GITEX Nigeria 2025.
The cybersecurity company reported a sharp rise in specific threat types compared to the same period last year.
Spyware incidents more than doubled, password stealer infections climbed by 64%, and backdoor attacks increased by 12%. Kaspersky said these findings highlight a growing risk to both businesses and individuals as digital adoption accelerates across the region.
Related: Kaspersky Reports Over 131 Million Web Threats Targeted Africa in 2024
Nigeria Accounted For Most Attacks
Nigeria accounted for a significant share of these threats. Between January and June 2025, the country recorded more than 1.46 million blocked online attacks targeting nearly 20% of users. On-device threats, including malware delivered via infected USB devices, CDs, DVDs, and hidden installers, reached 4.97 million cases, impacting 28.6% of users.
Password-stealing malware in Nigeria rose by 66% year-on-year, while spyware activity increased by 53%. Although the overall volume of phishing attacks fell by 52%, targeted campaigns against financial services, e-commerce, and payment systems spiked by 46%, with more than 595,000 incidents logged.
Industrial sectors remain vulnerable, with Kaspersky blocking attacks on 26.5% of Industrial Control Systems (ICS) computers in Nigeria. Construction, energy, biometrics, and ICS engineering were among the industries most affected. Africa continues to rank among the highest globally for ICS malware detections.
“Every day, more people in Africa—and Nigeria in particular—are moving their businesses, banking, and daily errands online. But this growth also invites increasing attention from cybercriminals, who are targeting not only enterprises and government systems but also small businesses, individuals, and critical industrial infrastructure,” said Chris Norton, General Manager for Sub-Saharan Africa at Kaspersky.
Nigeria is gradually becoming a global target as recent data from Checkpoint suggests the country recorded the sharpest rise in cyberattacks globally.
Organizations in the country faced 6,101 weekly cyberattacks in July 2025 alone. That’s a 67% year-on-year increase making Nigeria the most targeted in Africa in that period.
At GITEX Nigeria, scheduled for September 3–4 in Lagos, Kaspersky will host workshops on real-time threat intelligence, workforce cybersecurity awareness, containerised cloud protection, and interactive simulations designed to expose common cybersecurity decision-making pitfalls.
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