Check Point, a cyber security company has reported that Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, and Morocco are seeing targeted cyber-attacks on government, education, and financial institutions.

In its just released 2024 African Perspectives on Cyber security report, Check Point, said that the cyber security sector is growing by 20-25% annually, fuelled by investments in infrastructure and Artificial Intelligence-driven solutions.

The report said that  South Africa has seen 3,312 attacks on government institutions every week and a 90% increase in ransomware, with cybercrime costing the country nearly 1% of GDP.

Kenya, in East Africa, sees 4,719 attacks on the government sector each week, indicating an urgent need for enhanced defenses.

According to the report, Nigeria sees 4,718 attacks every week, which is one of the highest in Africa.

In a recent incident, the report states that a banking trojan assault affected 100,000 customer accounts, resulting in a $3 million loss.

Morocco is one of Africa’s most targeted countries, with 8,733 attacks on government entities reported each week, the report said.

According to Check Point, the Moroccan government recently faced a state-sponsored cyberattack that compromised classified communications, raising significant national security concerns.

“Organisations in Africa are attacked roughly 3300 times per week, if we look at the global average it is about 1 800, it is almost double the attacks,” said Hendrik de Bruin, head of security consulting at Check Point SADC during the presentation.

Check Point noted that the continent’s GDP is predicted to exceed $4 trillion by 2027, and digital infrastructure has emerged as a key driver of economic growth. However, rapid digitisation has resulted in increased vulnerability.

De Bruin explained: “We are slowly, but surely digitalising our industries, we are digitising our governments, private sectors are digitising themselves, so we have got an expanding digital attack footprint.

“We also have cloud adoption, which is not new, but picking up pace in Africa. That is another way that these attackers are using to gain access to organisations, and we also see a large uptake on cloud specific attacks as well.”

National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has warned organisations about Ymir ransomware, describing it as a highly sophisticated cyber threat targeting corporate networks.

In an advisory released yesterday, NITDA outlined the ransomware’s advanced tactics, including memory-based execution designed to evade detection by traditional security tools.

The malware not only encrypts critical data but also exfiltrates sensitive information before encryption, demanding substantial ransoms in cryptocurrency.

“This ransomware is highly advanced and poses a significant threat to organisations, especially those in industries like healthcare, finance, and IT services that handle sensitive data,” NITDA said.

The agency warned that victims face severe operational disruptions, financial losses, and reputational damage. “Ymir’s ability to evade antivirus programs allows attackers to dwell longer in networks, expanding their reach and deepening the damage,” the advisory added.

To counter the threat, the agency urged organisations to take proactive measures, including deploying advanced endpoint detection and response solutions, updating all systems and applications with the latest security patches, and segmenting critical systems into separate network zones.

“Implementing multi-factor authentication across critical systems is crucial to preventing unauthorized access, especially for administrative accounts,” NITDA noted.

The agency also stressed the importance of a robust backup strategy. “Organisations should regularly test their backups for integrity and ensure offline copies are securely stored to avoid total data loss in the event of an attack,” it said.

NITDA emphasised the need for organisations to prioritise cybersecurity in light of evolving threats like Ymir ransomware. It encouraged businesses to seek expert guidance to strengthen their defenses against such attacks.

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the nonprofit organization that coordinates the Domain Name System (DNS), announced today the opening of the Applicant Support Program (ASP) for the New Generic Top-Level Domains (gTLD) Program: Next Round.

The New gTLD Program: Next Round is an initiative that will enable the introduction of new gTLDs (including those longer than three characters and in non-Latin scripts) into the Internet’s domain name space.

It will be the first opportunity since 2012 to secure a gTLD, and the ASP makes it possible for lesser-resourced organizations to benefit from this transformation in their presence online.

Top-level domains are the part of an Internet address that comes after the dot. For example, in the domain name icann.org, the characters ‘org’ identify the TLD and help to classify the purpose of the domain name.

The Internet started with just a handful of TLDs, such as .com, .net., .org and others. As it has evolved, the number of generic TLDs in the DNS has increased to reflect the multidimensionality of its billions of users and to help classify and communicate the purpose of a domain name.

ICANN appreciates that applying to operate a gTLD can be expensive and out of reach for many organizations. The ASP is intended to make the processes and fees involved in applying for a new gTLD more accessible to entities that may want to operate a gTLD but are unable because of financial and other resource constraints. Supported applicants will be eligible to receive access to pro bono service providers, training, and other resources, and a 75-85% reduction in gTLD evaluation fees.

“The New gTLD Program: Next Round will give businesses, communities, and others the opportunity to apply for new top-level domains tailored to their community, culture, language, business, and customers. The program reinforces ICANN’s commitment to encourage innovation, competition, and consumer choice in the domain industry,” said Pierre Dandjinou, Vice President, ICANN, Africa.

“The ASP supports that commitment by paving the way for more entrepreneurs, small businesses, governments, and communities around the world to apply to operate a generic top-level domain of their own choosing.”

To be eligible for the program, applicants must meet financial need and financial viability criteria, and fall into at least one of the following entity categories:

• Nonprofits, charities, or equivalent
• Intergovernmental organizations (IGOs)
• Indigenous/tribal peoples’ organizations
• Social impact or public benefit micro or small businesses
• Micro or small businesses from a less-developed economy

More information on evaluation and eligibility criteria are described in Section 4: Applicant Eligibility and Evaluation Categories, of the ASP Handbook.

ASP applicants will be evaluated on an ongoing basis. The first applicants to apply and qualify for support will the first to take advantage of the available resources. The application window will remain open for 12 months. Applicants are encouraged to apply early.