Cyber Attacks in Nigeria Higher Than Global Average –Report

Cyber attacks in Nigeria are alarmingly higher than the global average, according to cajnewsafrica.com

Findings by Check Point, the cyber security firm, revealed that the number of attacks experienced per business each week is 870 on average.

This weekly figure is 2 308 across all industry sectors collectively.

The per-industry analysis reveals this figure is higher still for businesses in the finance and banking sector.

Pankaj Bhula, Check Point Software Technology Regional Director for Africa, said over the last six months, the number of attacks against these institutions in Nigeria was 3 682 per week, while globally, this figure was far lower at 774.

“To protect this booming industry, more must be done to drive awareness around cyber security,” Bhula said.

The Check Point report also revealed that, over the past six months, 62 percent of Nigeria’s businesses fell victim to Remote Code Execution (RCE) attacks, making this the top class of vulnerability exploits.

Check Point predicted several alarming cyber-threat trends for 2022, including the weaponisation of deep-fake technologies by cyber-criminals to create fake news campaigns as part of elaborate phishing attacks, predominantly carried out over email.

According to the report, email was recorded as the origin point for 60 percent of cyber attacks over the last month.

Remi Afon, President of the Cyber Security Experts Association of Nigeria, (CSEAN) lamented deepfake technologies as a huge area of concern in 2022.

Nigeria is the continent’s largest economy and biggest nation by population, estimated at 213 million people.