C2 Report: Kenya Cyberattacks Up By 82%

Cyber-attacks on Kenyan businesses increased by 82 per cent according to a pan-African cybersecurity report released by Liquid C2, a business unit of Liquid Intelligent Technologies.

The report titled The Evolving Cyber Security Landscape in Africa 2022 also covers South Africa and Zambia which both recorded an increase of 62 per cent in cybercrime. It features research, analysis, and findings across the three countries on the evolving cyber security threats present in Africa and illustrates how cyberattacks against all large enterprises ramped up dramatically.

“The biggest concern emerging from this report is that companies are saying that they’ve put a lot more cybersecurity controls in place. With threats evolving faster than security systems, companies cannot afford to get complacent,” says David Behr, CEO of Liquid C2.

“The report highlights that businesses must be consistently vigilant about the ever-evolving cybercrime landscape and the methods malicious actors use to breach cyber security measures. As the report shows, complacency is a luxury no one can afford,” he added.

All the respondents in the report highlighted that they had advanced significantly in their cloud and digital strategies and cyber security capabilities. Furthermore, the majority (68 per cent) of the companies interviewed in the research said they had appointed cybersecurity staff members or signed up with a cybersecurity team in the past year.

The research also highlights that over half of all large enterprises in the three countries were victims of a successful cyberattack, with 90 per cent of them being Kenyan businesses. Increasingly sophisticated methods like Cybercrime-as-a-Service (CaaS) are becoming more popular in Africa, meaning businesses can no longer rely on outdated technologies and processes.

“It is time companies invested in a partner that provides 24/7/365 protection, rapid response, threat intelligence and prevention, compliance and improved business reputation, all designed to cater to the specific needs of businesses,” said Behr.

The top method of attack used by cybercriminals targeting companies was through email, using phishing or spam attacks (61 per cent), with attacks through compromised passwords following at 48 per cent and data breaches and attacks (44 per cent) being the second and third most common. Furthermore, 61 per cent of the companies included in the research said that the breaches to their operations occurred as a result of remote or hybrid working.

One of the most concerning revelations in the report is that Africa faces a growing 100,000-person gap in the number of certified cybersecurity professionals. Reports estimate that there are only 7,000 certified cybersecurity professionals or one for every 177,000 people on the continent. However, this number may disguise the true magnitude of the problem as there is no readily available data on the level of investment made by African governments into cybersecurity.

The report underlines the increasing need for companies to invest in cybersecurity measures to avoid reputational damage, financial loss, and potential business interruptions. Additionally, it reinforces how vital it is for organisations to collaborate with trusted third-party Managed Security Services Providers (MSSPs) to implement and refine their cybersecurity strategies.