INTERPOL Warns of Sophisticated Cyber Threats Targeting Africa’s Key Sectors
The report, the fourth edition of its kind, is based on data from African law enforcement agencies, private-sector partners, and open-source intelligence. It highlights a significant increase in cybercrime, with most countries classifying it as a medium to high-level threat.
A new report by INTERPOL , the Africa Cyberthreat Assessment Report 2025 , reveals that cybercrime is a growing threat across the continent, with financial losses estimated at over $3 billion between 2019 and 2025. The report, the fourth edition of its kind, is based on data from African law enforcement agencies, private-sector partners, and open-source intelligence. It highlights a significant increase in cybercrime, with most countries classifying it as a medium to high-level threat.
The most common cybercrime in Africa is online scams, with phishing and Business Email Compromise (BEC) being particularly widespread. The report also notes a sharp rise in romance scams, which often manipulate victims into giving up money or joining fraudulent cryptocurrency schemes. Cybercriminals are using sophisticated tactics, including social engineering and artificial intelligence (AI), to make their attacks more believable. The most financially damaging threats include scams, ransomware, BEC, and Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks, which primarily target the financial, healthcare, energy, and government sectors.
The report also identifies major challenges in combating cybercrime. These include a lack of consistent law enforcement capacity and access to digital forensic tools, as well as fragmented legal frameworks that hinder prosecution. Furthermore, slow and underutilized cross-border cooperation channels, such as Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA), complicate efforts to dismantle transnational criminal networks. Despite these obstacles, there have been some positive developments. The report highlights successful public-private partnerships, updated legislation, and effective regional operations, such as Operation Serengeti, which led to over 1,000 arrests and the dismantling of 134,000 malicious online infrastructures.
In conclusion, the report recommends several actions to enhance cybersecurity across Africa. These include launching public awareness campaigns, integrating cybersecurity education into school curricula, and leveraging new technologies like AI for threat detection. It also calls for stronger inter-African cooperation to build operational, human, and technological capacity to combat the growing cyberthreat.
