Latest news with #AfricanCyberthreatAssessmentReport
News24
25-04-2025
- Business
- News24
MTN reports cybersecurity breach affecting customer data
For more financial news, go to the News24 Business front page. Africa's largest mobile operator MTN said on Thursday it has experienced a cybersecurity incident that resulted in unauthorised access to personal information of some customers in certain markets. "An unknown third party has claimed to have accessed data linked to parts of our system," it said, adding "at this stage we do not have any information to suggest that customers' accounts and wallets have been directly compromised. "Our core network, billing systems and financial services infrastructure remain secure and fully operational," the group said in a statement. MTN said it has informed the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the Hawks in South Africa as well as "the relevant country authorities", while it is in the process of notifying affected customers. Cyberattacks on SA firms have been ramping up in recent years, states the Interpol African Cyberthreat Assessment Report for 2024. Citing information from private cybersecurity companies, Interpol said that over 300 cases of ransomware attempts were detected in one week in February 2023 alone, underscoring the rising threat. It said 78% of companies suffered attacks in that year, with some high-profile attacks including those against Porsche South Africa's Johannesburg headquarters, and the South African division of international credit bureau TransUnion. Last year, companies that reported hits included Africa's largest packaging firm Nampak, Sibanye-Stillwater, and Wesizwe Platinum. SA's biggest chicken producer Astral Foods also reported a cybersecurity incident in March this year, while in January, mobile operator Cell C also disclosed a data breach, later saying this information was then unlawfully published by RansomHouse, which included names, addresses, medical records (if supplied in order to close the account of a deceased family member), as well as ID and passport details.
Forbes
01-04-2025
- Forbes
Intepol Led International Cybercrime Operation Arrests 300
This photograph taken in Lyon, eastern France, on September 5, 2023 shows the entrance of the ... More International Criminal Police Organization headquarters, known as Interpol. (Photo by OLIVIER CHASSIGNOLE / AFP) (Photo by OLIVIER CHASSIGNOLE/AFP via Getty Images) Interpol, the International Criminal Police Organization, coordinates law enforcement efforts among 195 member countries' police forces around the world to combat transnational crime. Between November 2024 and February 2025, in a joint effort with the African Joint Operation against Cybercrime (AFJOC) it coordinated an investigation into cybercrime including mobile banking scams, investment scams and messaging app scams throughout Africa that culminated in the arrests in the African countries of Benin, Cote d'Ivoire, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Togo and Zambia as announced by Interpol on March 24th. Contributing to the efforts of Interpol and AFJOC were private security companies Group-IB, Kaspersky and Trend Micro. Kaspersky provided information on a malicious Android app used by the cybercriminals. In Nigeria 130 people were arrested including 113 foreign nationals who were themselves victims of human trafficking coerced into involvement with investment scams. In Zambia 14 members of an organized cybercrime syndicate were arrested on charges related to hacking into their victims' cell phones and luring their victims into downloading malware that enabled the criminals to access their victims' online banking apps. In Rwanda, police arrested 45 members of a criminal network that perpetrated social engineering scams in which they posed as telecommunications employees luring their victims into providing sensitive personal information as well as access to their victims' bank accounts. They also posed as family members of their targeted victims using social engineering techniques enhanced with artificial intelligence to convince their victims into paying for phony hospital bills. Cybercrime has long been a worsening problem throughout Africa. Last November Interpol uncovered a sophisticated cybercrime operation conducted by Kenyan hackers who stole 1.1 billion Kenyan Shillings from Kenyan banks. Cybercriminals in Kenya have targeted banks and other companies with extensive cyber-attacks including more than 15,000 ransomware attacks in 2024. According to Interpol's African Cyberthreat Assessment Report for 2024, countries throughout Africa are increasingly being attacked by sophisticated cybercriminals primarily using ransomware, the business email compromise and phishing scams targeting the banking system, government networks and individuals. The use of artificial intelligence by African cybercriminals has made the threats worse. The nature of cybercrime which can be easily perpetrated by criminals in countries far from where their victims are located makes international cooperation in fighting cybercrime essential. The level of cooperation between law enforcement agencies in multiple countries along with private security companies is a positive development in the battle against cybercrime. Neal Jetton, Interpol's Director of the Cybercrime Directorate summed up the successful operation saying, 'The success of Operation Red Card demonstrates the power of international cooperation in combating cybercrime which knows no borders and can have devastating effects on individuals and communities. The recovery of significant assets and devices, as well as the arrest of key suspects, sends a strong message to cybercriminals that their activities will not go unpunished.'
Zawya
20-03-2025
- Business
- Zawya
South Africa's digital future hindered by rising cyber threats
South Africa has always held the acclaim of being one of the continent's largest economies and is still the most diversified economy in Africa. With the eyes of the world focused on South Africa in 2025 – owing to its G20 presidency – there are significant expectations that South Africa will resolve its economic issues and position itself as a digital economy from which the world can learn lessons. However, MANCOSA points out that this expectation may be more challenging to achieve than many believe. 'It is true that South Africa is a significant role player in digital connectivity on the continent. However, we are one of the most targeted countries in the world in terms of cybercrime, and while we have developed a legal framework that can deal with cyber risks, is this framework agile enough to pivot in line with growing trends?' asks Trisha Govender, Manager: MANCOSA School of Information and Digital Technology (SIDT). Ransomware and digital extortion on the rise in Africa According to the 2024 Interpol African Cyberthreat Assessment Report (which reflects on 2023 digital trends), the INTERPOL member countries identified ransomware and digital extortion as one of the most serious cyber threats faced by the African continent. Such attacks are of particular concern due to their high financial impact, their ability to severely disrupt critical infrastructure and essential services, and the harm they can cause to the organisations and individuals affected. The volume, frequency, and impact of ransomware attacks continue to grow in Africa. Research from cyber security firm Check Point suggests that on average, one out of every 15 organisations in Africa experienced a ransomware attempt every week during the first quarter of 2023. This is even higher than the global weekly average, which stood at about 1 in every 31 organisations. During a single week in February 2023, INTERPOL private partner Kaspersky detected over 300 cases of ransomware attempts in South Africa, which illustrates the increasing frequency of attacks. The financial impact of attacks also appears to be on the rise: according to IBM, the average ransomware attack cost in 2023 was $5.13 million, which is a 13% increase over 2022. 'We are eagerly awaiting the release of the 2025 edition of the Report that will provide an overview of the 2024 digital threat landscape, due in April. While we wait, it is important to note that Africa remains a low-hanging fruit for cybercriminals, so the threat landscape will likely increase,' warns Govender. According to the 2024 report, ransomware, business email compromise (BEC), and other online scams were the fastest-growing cyber threats in 2023. This is in line with 2024 statistics from which points out that BEC accounts for 24-25% of financially motivated attacks. Seventy-seven per cent of BEC attacks target employees outside of finance and executive roles, while one in five BEC attacks target sales employees. 'As you can see, the threat landscape is relentless,' adds Govender, which has also been highlighted by the Southern African Fraud Prevention Service (SAFPS), which points out that technology is becoming central to the majority of fraud cases and scams in the region. Addressing the problem South Africa has been aware of the cyber threat landscape for several years, and the issue has been highlighted by specialist commentators such as MANCOSA since 2020. However, the country is far from addressing the issue head-on. Govender points out that while laws like the Cybercrimes Act (2021) and POPIA (2021) are in place, weak enforcement, skills shortages, infrastructure vulnerabilities, and limited threat intelligence sharing leave the country exposed to cyber risks. She adds that some key risks include weak enforcement regarding cybercrimes, exacerbated by under-resourced law enforcement and slow cybercrime prosecutions. Another significant issue is the vulnerability of critical infrastructure, such as healthcare, energy, and government systems, which lack mandatory cybersecurity regulations. This was highlighted in the 2024 cyber-attack on the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS) which crippled the only government laboratory processing lab in the country. 'A way to address the first challenge highlighted above is to increase funding around cyber enforcement and create specialised cyber prosecution units such as the ones found in Europe. Addressing the second problem involves enforcing cybersecurity standards for critical infrastructure/sectors,' says Govender. Who does the response to cyber risks fall upon? Government, companies, individuals, or a combination of these parties? 'Cybersecurity is a shared responsibility between Government, companies, and individuals. From a Government perspective, they need to enforce cyber laws, develop a national cybersecurity strategy, and strengthen critical infrastructure protection. Companies must implement strong cybersecurity policies, invest in cybersecurity training for employees, and collaborate with the Government on threat intelligence sharing. Finally, individuals need to practice cyber hygiene (strong passwords, avoiding phishing scams), remain informed about online threats and report cybercrimes and suspicious activities to relevant authorities. Lobby groups and opposition political parties then need to put pressure on the Government to become stricter about enforcement,' says Govender. A cloud with a silver lining While the cyber threat is ever present, and South Africa is lacking when it comes to stringent cyber policies, Govender believes that the country can build itself up to becoming one of the most prominent digital economies on the continent. 'South Africa has a strong tech ecosystem, growing AI and fintech sectors, and government-led digital initiatives; however, its cybersecurity infrastructure is too weak to support a globally competitive tech economy. What Needs to Change? Outside of the abovementioned measures, we must invest in cybersecurity education and retain skilled professionals. The Government needs to mandate cybersecurity compliance for critical infrastructure and industries, and South Africa needs to improve government-business cybersecurity collaboration. If we can achieve this, we can look at the business sector and adapt laws to encourage digital entrepreneurship,' says Govender, who adds that South Africa is actively promoting itself as an investment hub, leveraging tech innovation and industrial growth. However, we must be aware of geopolitical challenges and cybersecurity readiness, which will impact our ability to attract long-term investment.
