Microsoft has warned that Africa is increasingly being used as a testing ground for sophisticated cyberattacks, with Nigeria’s private sector among the most targeted. The alert came through the company’s 2025 Digital Defense Report, which analyzed over 100 trillion daily security signals worldwide.
According to the report, cybercriminals are deploying artificial intelligence to create phishing campaigns in local languages, improving their success rates. Data-theft attempts made up around 80 percent of all attacks recorded in Africa in 2024, while Business Email Compromise (BEC) was identified as the most financially damaging threat, responsible for 21 percent of successful breaches — ahead of ransomware.
Microsoft also identified a group known as “Storm-2126,” believed to have originated from Nigeria but operating mainly from South Africa since 2017. The report noted that attackers often exploit weak cybersecurity frameworks and inadequate incident-response systems within African organisations.
In Nigeria, security experts have observed a surge in cyberattacks across banking, education, and government institutions. Over half of the country’s cyber incidents reportedly target government and financial sectors. Analysts say many small and medium-sized enterprises lack adequate recovery plans after breaches, leaving them vulnerable.
Kerissa Varma, Microsoft’s regional security lead for Africa, said the continent’s growing digital adoption has not been matched with equivalent security readiness. She called for stronger collaboration between private and public stakeholders to strengthen defences.
Microsoft added that it is rolling out initiatives such as the Secure Future Initiative to help African institutions improve threat detection and response capacity.
Sources: The Guardian Nigeria, TechArena Kenya, Capital FM Kenya, Leadership Nigeria
