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A new report by the INTERPOL (International Criminal Police Organization) has identified five top cyberthreats in Africa.  They are:
Online scams: fake emails or text messages claiming to be from a legitimate source are used to trick individuals into revealing personal or financial information;
Digital extortion: victims are tricked into sharing sexually compromising images which are used for blackmail;
Business email compromise (BEC): criminals hack into email systems to gain information about corporate payment systems, then deceive company employees into transferring money into their bank account;
Ransomware: cybercriminals block the computer systems of hospitals and public institutions, then demand money to restore functionality;
Botnets: networks of compromised machines are used as a tool to automate large-scale cyberattacks.

These five top threats in Africa were identified based on input from INTERPOL member countries and data drawn from private  sector partners.

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While online scams have scaled up unrelentingly, the INTERPOL indicated a phenomenal spike in digital extortion – a growing cybercrime of “allegations of sexually compromising images or direct blackmail campaigns.”

In Nigeria, digital extortion tend to target high profile entertainment icons, politicians and top government officials. But there are reports of less prominent personalities being targeted in Nigeria and across the continent.

Ransomware attacks are also on increase as are BEC and Botnets.

The INTERPOL report gives key insights into cybercrime in Africa. The result of  cross-sector collaboration, the African Cyberthreat Assessment Report  2021 will help countries in Africa to understand the most prevalent  threats and formulate a coordinated regional response to cybercrime.

The report findings will support coordinated action in Africa against cybercrime.  To access how the findings will boost coordinated action across the region, visit: https://lnkd.in/dPhtTaZZ    

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Digital transformation

Cybercrimes affect all countries, but weak networks and security make countries in Africa particularly vulnerable.
While  Africa has an estimated 500 million Internet users, this equates to  just 38 per cent of the population, leaving huge potential for growth.  Africa has the fastest growing telephone and Internet networks in the  world, and makes the widest use of mobile banking services.
This  digital demand, coupled with a lack of cybersecurity policies and  standards, exposes online services to major risks. As African countries  move to incorporate digital infrastructure into all aspects of society –  including government, banking, business and critical infrastructure –  it is crucial to put a robust cybersecurity framework into place.

From Analysis to Action

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“Not  only do criminals exploit vulnerabilities in cyber security across the  region, but they also take advantage of variations in law enforcement  capabilities across physical borders,” said Craig Jones, INTERPOL’s  Director of Cybercrime.
“INTERPOL’s regional cybercrime strategy  for Africa provides a robust framework for sharing intelligence and  coordinating action to strengthen the law enforcement response across  Africa and beyond,” added Jones.
The strategy focuses on the  areas of criminal intelligence, law enforcement operations, regional  capacity and capabilities, and awareness campaigns for businesses and  the general public.
Implementation will be driven by INTERPOL’s  African Cybercrime Operations Desk, working in close partnership with  key regional stakeholders, in particular the African Union and Afripol,  law enforcement communities and the private sector.

Acknowledgments

The  African Cyberthreat Assessment Report 2021 was produced as part of the  African Joint Operation against Cybercrime (AFJOC), funded by the United  Kingdom’s Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). INTERPOL’s  Support Programme for the African Union (ISPA) also contributed to the  report with the support of the German Federal Foreign office. The report  benefited from the data and expertise of INTERPOL’s private sector  partners Group-IB, Kaspersky, Palo Alto Networks and Trend Micro.

IMAGE: The Straits Times

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