Report Warns of Dangerously Low Cyber Risk Awareness in Africa

Cyber security awareness in Africa, despite its mobile connectivity-driven economy, is low, with less than 30% of respondents to a recent survey being ‘very concerned’ about cyber crime.

This is according to the KnowBe4 2023 African Cyberthreat Report, conducted across Botswana, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Mauritius, Nigeria and South Africa.

The report revealed that one out of every three employees is likely to click on a suspicious link or e-mail, or even comply with a fraudulent request.

So in a landscape dominated by mobile transactions and connections, the risk of crypto scams, social engineering attacks, ransomware and phishing remains consistently high.

“Digital device use, digital skills and connectivity were a priority for the survey to fully understand how devices are used, the perception of risk, and the applications most used on these devices,” says Anna Collard, SVP of content strategy & evangelist at KnowBe4 Africa.

“It found that WhatsApp is used extensively in Africa for work, more so than in other developed countries, and yet there is a lack of corporate advice and awareness around the risks.”