When The Internet Goes Dark: Lessons From War

Picture this: You wake to chaos. Your phone shows no signal. News apps fail to load. Your bank account is inaccessible. Government services are offline. WhatsApp is silent. The internet is gone—not a glitch, but a total blackout. Your country is under attack.

This isn’t a movie. It’s reality for millions caught in modern conflicts, like the Iran-Israel war, where digital infrastructure is a prime target. This is a stark warning for Africa: our digital transformation is racing ahead, but our resilience is lagging. If war—or even a cyberattack—strikes tomorrow, most African nations will be digitally crippled within hours. Here’s why and how we can fight back.

Africa’s Digital Vulnerability

Africa’s digital revolution—e-Government platforms, mobile money, and AI-driven services—is transforming lives. Over 500 million Africans use mobile money, and countries like Rwanda and Kenya lead in e-Governance. But our infrastructure is fragile:

Single Points of Failure: 60 per cent of African nations rely on one or two undersea cables (e.g., SEACOM, WACS). A single cut can paralyse entire regions, as seen in Sudan’s 2019 blackout.
Centralised Data: Most countries host critical systems in one city or with one vendor, risking total shutdowns.
No Offline Fallbacks: Mobile money and fintech apps often require internet, leaving users stranded in crises.
Foreign Dependence: Many services rely on overseas clouds or apps like WhatsApp, which are beyond local control.

In modern warfare, cyberattacks hit before missiles. Cables are severed, DNS is hacked, and clouds are blocked. The Iran-Israel conflict shows this vividly: GPS spoofing, satellite jamming, and website defacements disrupted entire regions. Ukraine’s war offers another lesson—its reliance on Starlink and decentralised apps kept it online. Africa must learn now, or pay later.

A Plan for Digital Survival

To survive a digital war, Africa must prioritise resilience over growth. Here’s a five-point plan, inspired by global lessons and tailored to our diverse needs:

Multi-Region Data Hosting

Storing all systems in one place is a disaster waiting to happen.
Mirror critical systems in neutral, stable regions (e.g., UAE, Switzerland) to avoid single-point failures.
Use geo-redundant clouds (e.g., AWS or Google Cloud multi-region setups), funded by public-private partnerships. Kenya and Nigeria can lead here, leveraging their tech hubs.
Distribute DNS and payment systems across multiple providers to ensure uptime, as South Africa’s 2023 cybersecurity hub began doing.

Satellite Internet As A Failsafe

When fibre fails, satellites shine. Ukraine’s use of Starlink during Russia’s invasion kept hospitals and governments online.
Subsidise satellite terminals (e.g., Starlink, OneWeb) for hospitals, schools, and command centres, especially in rural nations like Malawi or Chad.
Train local technicians to deploy mobile satellite units, as Nigeria piloted in 2024.
Partner with providers to ensure affordable access for critical infrastructure.

Offline-First Systems

Design systems to work wIf war—or even a cyberattack—strikes tomorrow, most African nations will be digitally crippled within hours. ithout internet, like M-Pesa’s early SMS-based transactions.
Enable offline mobile money via SMS or mesh networks like Briar, ideal for rural areas.
Build local-first apps that store data offline and sync later, ensuring continuity for businesses and governments.
Deploy community networks using tools like Locha Mesh for local communication in crises.

Redundant Communication Networks

Relying on one ISP or cable is a vulnerability. Sudan’s 2019 shutdown showed how fast systems collapse.
Create national failover plans (fibre to satellite to radio) to maintain connectivity.
Expand regional IXPs (Internet Exchange Points), like Kenya’s, to reroute traffic across borders.
Use LoRaWAN—a low-bandwidth network—for critical communications, such as emergency alerts.

Cyber Defence And Data Sovereignty

Foreign-hosted services leave us exposed. Local control is non-negotiable.
Build national Certificate Authorities to secure digital transactions, reducing reliance on foreign tech.
Train cyber response teams, as South Africa did with its 2023 cybersecurity hub, to protect state and private systems.
Invest in local providers like Africa Data Centres for critical APIs, ensuring data stays in African hands.

The Stakes Are High

African CTOs, policymakers, and entrepreneurs must act. Ask yourself:

Can your country function 72 hours offline?
Can your bank process payments without fibre?
Can your startup survive a shutdown?
Can your e-Government portal recover from a breach?

If the answer is no, you’re not ready. But progress is happening—Rwanda’s e-Governance and Nigeria’s IXP growth show promise. Let’s build on these.

Build Like You’re Under Attack

The worst time to prepare is when the blackout hits. From Sudan to Ukraine, the lesson is clear: digital war is inevitable. Let’s shift from apps to infrastructure, from growth to survival. The next battle may not involve tanks—it’ll be fought with shutdowns and hacks. Africa can be ready.

What steps is your organisation taking to ensure digital resilience? Share your thoughts with #DigitalResilience.

James Ayugi is a tech entrepreneur and CEO of Webmasters Kenya Ltd. He writes weekly on digital transformation and resilience, building for Africa’s future.