Africa’s Digital Growth Is Outpacing Its Cyber Defences

Africa’s rapid embrace of digital technology is transforming everything from commerce to banking and infrastructure. But with this transformation comes a sobering reality: cybercriminals are moving faster than most defences, and the new frontline is no longer just email inboxes or bank accounts, it is industrial systems.

Kaspersky’s latest data shows just how exposed Nigeria and its neighbors have become. In the first half of 2025 alone, attacks were detected on more than a quarter (26.5%) of Industrial Control Systems (ICS) computers in Nigeria. These are not abstract figures. They point to vulnerabilities in energy grids, construction projects, biometrics systems and industrial engineering,  the very backbone of a modern economy.

Chris Norton, General Manager for Sub-Saharan Africa at Kaspersky, puts it bluntly: “Cybercriminals are also becoming more active, targeting not only big companies and government networks, but also ordinary people, small businesses, and industrial infrastructures we depend on.”

What Are Industrial Control Systems (ICS)?

Industrial Control Systems are the digital nerve centers of critical infrastructure. They include:

SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition): Systems that monitor and control utilities such as electricity, water, and oil and gas.

DCS (Distributed Control Systems): Used in large-scale plants like refineries, chemical factories, and power stations.

PLC (Programmable Logic Controllers): Controllers for machinery on factory floors and in construction projects.

Once isolated from the internet, many ICS networks are now connected to broader IT systems, making them vulnerable to malware, ransomware, and targeted attacks. A successful breach can mean blackouts, factory shutdowns, or critical supply chain disruption.

This matters because Africa’s economic growth story increasingly hinges on its digital capacity. From mobile money to cloud adoption, governments and firms are betting on technology to drive productivity and leapfrog structural bottlenecks. But the same connectivity that enables growth can paralyse industries if hijacked.

A single malware infection in an energy provider or construction contractor can ripple through supply chains, disrupt critical services and erode investor confidence.

The financial sector is no exception. In Ghana, the First Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana has urged regulators to embed cybersecurity as a foundational element of financial inclusion, warning that digital transformation without system integrity is unsustainable.

He pointed to data showing more than 21,000 cyber fraud attempts in Ghana’s financial sector in 2022 alone, most targeting digital platforms. Across Africa, losses from cybercrime exceed $4 billion annually, with Interpol reporting a 150% increase in cyberattacks on the continent in the past year.

Nigeria’s data offers a stark illustration. Nearly one in five internet users faced online attacks in the first half of 2025, while spyware and password-stealing malware surged by 53% and 66% respectively. Phishing scams have become more targeted, particularly around financial services. The consumer threat is significant, but the industrial and financial risks are existential.

To their credit, policymakers and businesses are beginning to take the issue seriously. Nigeria’s Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency (SMEDAN) recently signed an MoU with Kaspersky to strengthen SME defences. At GITEX Nigeria this week, workshops will focus on securing cloud systems, building cyber-aware workforces and running simulations to test decision-making under attack.

These are important steps, but they remain incremental. The pace of Africa’s digital transformation demands a far broader shift: cybersecurity must be seen not as a cost but as infrastructure investment, as essential as roads, ports and power. Without it, the continent’s digital dividends will be fragile, and its most ambitious growth plans vulnerable to disruption from a few lines of malicious code.

The stakes could not be clearer. Africa has one of the highest global rates of ICS infections. If industrial and financial systems continue to be treated as secondary in cybersecurity planning, the cost will not only be borne by firms but by households and entire economies. The challenge for governments and businesses alike is to ensure digital growth does not come at the expense of digital resilience.

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