Between May and December 2024, Nigeria experienced a significant surge in cyberattacks, moving from the 35th to the 13th position on the Global Threat Index. During this period, the country’s normalized risk index also saw a sharp increase, rising from 46.5% to 62.3%.
The Global Threat Index is a monthly report compiled by Check Point Securities, a leading cybersecurity solutions company. This index measures the global cyber threat landscape based on credible threat intelligence. According to the latest report, eight other African countries were among the top 20 most attacked nations in December, with Ethiopia occupying the number one spot globally.
The report stated; “Ethiopia retained its top spot as the most attacked country with a 98.2% Normalized Risk Index out of the 106 countries featured in the Index.”
Uganda, Angola, and Ghana also ranked ahead of Nigeria, coming in at 8th, 9th, and 11th positions, respectively. Meanwhile, Kenya held the 17th position with a Normalized Risk Index of 57.6%, followed closely by Mozambique at the 18th spot with a risk index of 56.9%. Côte d’Ivoire rounded out the top 20 with a “higher Normalized Risk Index than last month” at 55.6%.
In December, the most active cyber attackers were FunkSec, an Artificial Intelligence-powered ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) group responsible for 14% of all reported breaches during the festive month. The group leaked the confidential data of more than 85 victims in December alone, surpassing its competitors in volume.
FunkSec, which has been linked to Algeria, “appears driven by financial gain and hacktivist ideologies, with its AI-assisted tactics pointing to the increasing use of advanced technologies in cybercrime.” Other notable actors in the cyber threat space last month included FakeUpdates, accounting for 5% of attacks on organizations worldwide, while AgentTesla and Androxgh0st were responsible for 3% each.
The report also revealed that the education, communications, and military sectors were the most attacked industries globally, highlighting the persistent vulnerabilities in sectors that rely heavily on interconnected systems and sensitive data.
Maya Horowitz, VP of Research at Check Point Software, noted;
The latest trends in cybercrime underscore the importance of vigilance and innovation in cybersecurity. Organizations must leverage advanced threat prevention measures to protect themselves against the evolving landscape of sophisticated attacks.
Over the past few years, Nigeria’s digital economy has witnessed significant growth, with the number of internet users rising to 134.78 million and broadband penetration soaring to 42.24% in October 2024, according to data from the Nigerian Communications Commission.
However, this digital boom is threatened by the rapid escalation of cyber incidents. A government that intends to preserve this growth trend must do more than issue threat alerts; it must focus on investing in and upgrading its cyber defense infrastructure.
