Nigeria on High Alert as Sudanese Hacker Group Targets Critical Infrastructure

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) in Nigeria raised its cybersecurity alert level in response to a hacktivist group from Sudan targeting critical digital infrastructure. The hacker group, known as Anonymous Sudan, has a history of politically and religiously motivated cyber-attacks and has set its sights on Nigeria. Their primary strategy involves distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks on government digital services, which have been successful in other nations.

NITDA issued a warning to the public, emphasizing the immediate need to bolster cybersecurity measures and strengthen digital defenses. This warning was followed by an allegation that MTN Nigeria, the largest telecom firm in the country, had also been targeted by a cyberattack. While MTN did not confirm or deny the attack, its network remained operational.

Anonymous Sudan’s tactics mirror those used in Kenya, where they recently targeted Safaricom, the largest telco in the country. The group claimed responsibility for DDoS attacks on Kenyan media, hospitals, universities, and companies, highlighting the growing threat of cyber-attacks in the region. Nigeria is now on high alert and taking measures to safeguard its critical digital infrastructure from potential cyber threats.