Africa has become the most targeted region for cyberattacks, with organizations facing an average of 2,902 attempted breaches weekly in September.
A Check Point Research report said Nigeria recorded 2,749 attacks per week, while Angola, Kenya, and South Africa were also among the most affected countries.
Africa has emerged as the most targeted region for cyberattacks globally, with organizations across the continent suffering an average of 2,902 attempted breaches per week in September, according to a new report by Check Point Research.
The Global Threat Intelligence Report from Check Point Software Technologies revealed that the telecommunications, government, and consumer goods sectors were the hardest hit across the region. Angola recorded the highest number of weekly attacks per organization at 3,045, followed by Kenya with 3,000, Nigeria with 2,749, and South Africa with 2,054.
Lorna Hardie, Check Point’s Regional Director for Africa, said the continent’s exposure has worsened with the increasing use of generative artificial intelligence.
“As Africans, we are deeply concerned about the continent’s vulnerability to cyberattacks, especially as many incidents are now driven by generative AI,” she said. “The only sustainable solution is a prevention-first approach powered by real-time AI to secure networks, clouds, endpoints, and identities.”
Globally, the average number of cyberattacks per organization in September was 1,900 per week, showing Africa’s significantly higher risk level.
The report linked the growing integration of generative AI tools in workplaces to new security threats. It found that one in every 54 AI prompts carried a high risk of sensitive data leaks, while 91 per cent of companies using such tools had been exposed to data risks. About 15 per cent of prompts were found to include sensitive customer or proprietary information.
Data Research Manager at Check Point, Omer Dembinsky, said that although the number of attacks had dropped slightly, their complexity and damage potential had increased.
“While the overall attack volume has eased, the impact and sophistication of threats are intensifying. Ransomware remains the most destructive threat, and the rise of AI-related data leaks adds a dangerous new layer,” Dembinsky noted.
The report further showed that the education sector remained the most targeted globally, with an average of 4,175 weekly attacks per organization. It was followed by telecommunications with 2,703 and government institutions with 2,512.
Other regions also recorded high levels of activity. Latin America experienced 2,826 weekly attacks per organization, Asia-Pacific 2,668, Europe 1,577, and North America 1,468. The report said North America saw a 17 per cent increase from last year, largely driven by ransomware cases.
Globally, there were 562 publicly reported ransomware incidents in September, a 46 per cent rise compared to the same period last year. North America accounted for 54 per cent of those cases, while Europe represented 19 per cent.
The leading ransomware groups were identified as Qilin, Play, and Akira, responsible for over 30 per cent of known attacks. Qilin, a rapidly expanding Ransomware-as-a-Service network, has continued to grow, while Play and Akira now focus heavily on manufacturing and business service targets.
Check Point warned that as more organizations adopt AI technologies, there is a growing need for stronger data governance, employee awareness, and proactive security frameworks.
“Only a prevention-first approach can protect organizations from increasingly relentless cybercriminals,” Hardie added.
