Nigeria records 4,200 weekly cyber attacks as attackers exploit AI – Report

By : 'Sola Akinsanmi

Date: 4 December 2025 9:26am WAT

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Nigeria’s position as the African country with the highest number of weekly cyber-attacks per organisation has been linked to exposed identities, misconfigured systems, and the growing use of artificial intelligence by threat actors, according to a new industry assessment.

The African Perspectives on Cyber Security Report 2025, released by Check Point Software Technologies, shows that Nigerian organisations now encounter an average of 4,200 attempted intrusions each week. The figure is higher than the continental average of 3,153 and 60 per cent above the global baseline of 1,963 attacks per organisation per week.

The report stated that critical sectors including finance, energy, telecoms, and government are being targeted through identity-led intrusions, AI-generated phishing campaigns, and multi-vector ransomware. It noted that attackers are exploiting misconfigured cloud systems and exposed credentials, with Business Email Compromise and cloud exploitation identified as the dominant attack routes in Nigeria.

Lorna Hardie, Regional Director for Africa at Check Point Software Technologies, said AI has become embedded in the threat environment. Hardie said, “AI has become part of the attack surface. Attackers are using it to automate phishing and identity theft at scale. The only effective response is prevention-first security that combines visibility, governance, and AI protection.”

The report highlighted shifts in attack patterns across the continent. It noted that South Africa is experiencing growing incidents of ransomware, smishing, and botnet infections linked to strains such as Vo1d and XorDDoS.

Kenya has recorded ransomware targeting the national energy grid, while Morocco has faced disruptions to government and education networks through coordinated DDoS attacks and website defacement.

Traditional ransomware, according to the study, is increasingly giving way to data-leak extortion, with attackers threatening to publish or sell stolen information. It also identified identity as a new security perimeter, stating that the loss or compromise of credentials remains one of the most exploited weaknesses in African markets.

The report warned that regulatory compliance is becoming a determinant of international market access. It cited frameworks such as the EU’s NIS2 Directive as examples of requirements that may affect African organisations that lack adequate digital protections.

Check Point said Africa’s rapid digital adoption continues to outpace security investment, creating gaps across cloud platforms, identity management systems, and AI-enabled business processes. It urged governments and private-sector operators to adopt prevention-first strategies, continuous risk assessment, improved regulatory readiness, and wider public-private collaboration.

“The real challenge is not adopting new technology but securing the trust that underpins it,” Hardie said. “As AI reshapes how organisations operate, cybersecurity must move from reaction to prediction.”

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