…As Sub-Saharan Africa Records 42.4Mn Web Attacks
Kaspersky, a global cybersecurity company, has reported that its security tools blocked more than 1.46 million online attack attempts, including phishing scams, exploits, botnets, Remote Desktop Protocol attacks, and Network spoofing such as fake Wi-Fi networks, on Nigerian users in the first half of this year.
The company, in its just published report and cyber-attacks in Africa, disclosed that totally Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) region suffered 42.4 million web attacks and 95.6 million on-device attacks detected in the first half of 2025.
The report reflected that in the half-year period under review, the region recorded more than a double increase in spyware, 64% more password stealer attacks and 12% more backdoor infections compared with the same period of last year.
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These news statistics are shared ahead of Kaspersky’s participation in GITEX Nigeria, one of the region’s most significant technology events taking place on September 3-4 in Lagos, during which the company will offer practical advice to participants aimed at helping businesses and individuals strengthen their defences against these fast-evolving threats.
With these threats, nearly one in five people in the country (19.9%) were targeted. In the same period, 4.97 million on-device incidents were blocked, where 28.6% of Nigerian users faced malware delivered via infected USB drives, CDs, DVDs, and hidden installers, including ransomware, worms, backdoors, trojans, password stealers, and spyware.
Kaspersky’s analysis further showed a 66% increase in password stealers in Nigeria in H1 2025 compared to the same period in 2024, alongside a 53% increase in spyware blocked. Exploits targeting vulnerabilities in applications like Microsoft Office also remain prevalent.
The company reported that though the overall number of phishing detections decreased by 52%, phishing threats became more targeted, focusing on specific topics, for example, phishing specifically related to financial topics (banks, e-shops, payment systems) was on the rise and grew 46% (Kaspersky recorded over 595 000 detections of finance-related phishing in the country).
Kaspersky further clarified that industrial environments were subject to cyberthreats as well with attacks on 26.5% of ICS (Industrial Control Systems) computers in Nigeria blocked by its solutions in the period under review.
It maintained that there were likely significant problems with virus and worm threats, especially affecting the construction, ICS engineering and integration, power energy, and biometrics industries, noting that Africa in general has one of the highest rates of ICS computers on which malicious objects were blocked among regions globally.
Commenting on the report’s findings, General Manager for Sub-Saharan Africa at Kaspersky, Chris Norton, said: “Every day, more people in Africa and in Nigeria specifically are moving their businesses, banking, and even daily errands online. But with this opportunity comes a challenge. Cybercriminals are also becoming more active, targeting not only big companies and government networks, but also ordinary people, small businesses, and industrial infrastructures we depend on.
“Earlier this month, Kaspersky signed an MoU with the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN). That agreement is about giving SMEs more knowledge to protect themselves. Our role at GITEX Nigeria builds on that. For us, it is about supporting Nigeria and the broader region so that digital growth goes hand in hand with digital safety”, Norton added.
