Though several large African markets have experienced an overall decrease in malware attacks recently, hacking groups that have traditionally targeted Middle East organisations are emerging as top threat actors in sub-Saharan Africa, as the remote-work trend and uncertainty caused by the pandemic leave enterprises more vulnerable than ever to certain kinds of cybercrime, according to security firm Kaspersky.
The good news is that during the first half of the year the firm detected a 36% decline in malware attacks in South Africa, a 26% drop in Kenya and a 2.7% decrease in Kenya. Organisations and individuals in the region, however, should be aware that certain, specific types of attacks are on the rise, according to Kaspersky.
"Certain financial malware types are gaining in popularity thanks to their unique techniques which these groups are exploiting to monetise data. This emphasises that attacks are becoming more targeted and at specific companies, in specific regions and for specific purposes," Kaspersky said in a press release.