Global cybersecurity firm, Kaspersky has reported that Nigeria faced close to 6.5 million cyberattacks in the first half of 2025. A data released by the company through its general manager for SubSaharan Africa, Chris Norton, said its tools blocked 1.46 million online attack attempts and 4.97 million on-device incidents targeting Nigerian users between January and June.
According to the data, close to one in five Nigerians (19.9 percent) faced online threats while 28.6 percent of users were hit by malware spread through infected USBs, CDs, DVDs, and hidden installers. Compared to 2024, Nigeria saw a 66 percent surge in password theft and a 53 percent rise in spyware incidents.
It revealed that exploits targeting applications like Microsoft Office remain widespread while finance-related phishing scams rose to 46 percent, despite a general drop in phishing cases. Kaspersky further disclosed that industrial sector was also hit by avalanche of cyberattacks, with 26.5 percent of attacks aimed at the country’s Industrial Control Systems (ICS) computers blocked, particularly in the construction, energy, biometrics, and engineering sectors— placing Africa among the hardest-hit regions globally.
“Every day, more people in Africa and Nigeria specifically are moving their businesses, banking, and even daily errands online. But with this opportunity comes a challenge. Cybercriminals are also becoming more active, targeting not only big companies and government networks, but also ordinary people, small businesses, and industrial infrastructures we depend on,” Norton warned.
Meanwhile, Kaspersky in early August signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) to boost cybersecurity awareness among Nigeria’s Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs).
