Nigeria Records One of Africa’s Highest Cyberattack Volumes in November 2025 — Report

Nigeria Records One of Africa’s Highest Cyberattack Volumes in November 2025 — Report

Nigeria experienced one of the highest volumes of cyberattacks in Africa in November 2025, according to a new Global Threat Intelligence Report released by Check Point Research, highlighting growing digital security risks amid the country’s expanding online economy.

The report revealed that organisations operating in Nigeria faced an average of 3,374 cyberattacks per week during the month, ranking the country second among African nations analysed, behind Angola, which recorded 4,251 weekly attacks per organisation.

Kenya followed with 2,384 attacks per week, while South Africa recorded 1,863, underscoring Nigeria’s elevated exposure to cyber threats compared to its regional peers.

Rising Cyber Threats Despite Africa-Wide Decline

Although Africa as a whole recorded a 13% year-on-year decline in cyberattacks, Nigeria’s figures show that the country remains a prime target for cybercriminals, particularly across critical sectors.

Check Point Research identified government institutions, financial services firms, and consumer goods and services companies as the most targeted organisations on the continent during November.

Globally, organisations faced an average of 2,003 cyberattacks per week, representing a 3% increase from October and a 4% rise year-on-year, pointing to a sustained escalation in cyber threats worldwide.

Education and Government Institutions Under Pressure

The report highlighted the education sector as the most attacked globally, with institutions recording an average of 4,656 attacks per organisation per week, a 7% year-on-year increase.

Government institutions followed closely, averaging 2,716 weekly attacks, while associations and non-profits experienced a sharp 57% surge to 2,550 attacks per week.

Experts attribute the rise to increased digital adoption, limited cybersecurity budgets, and the sensitive data held by these institutions.

Generative AI Introduces New Security Risks

Beyond traditional cyber threats, the report flagged emerging risks linked to the rapid adoption of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) tools in enterprise environments.

According to Check Point Research, one in every 35 GenAI prompts submitted from enterprise networks globally in November posed a high risk of sensitive data leakage.

The findings showed that 87% of organisations using GenAI tools were affected by high-risk prompts, while 22% of prompts contained potentially sensitive data, including internal communications, customer information, proprietary code, or personal identifiers.

Organisations now use an average of 11 different GenAI tools per month, many of which operate outside formal security governance frameworks, increasing vulnerability to accidental data exposure and cyber exploitation.

Ransomware Activity Accelerates Worldwide

Ransomware remained one of the most damaging cyber threats in November, with 727 publicly reported incidents globally, marking a 22% year-on-year increase.

North America accounted for 55% of reported ransomware cases, followed by Europe at 18%. However, the impact continues to spread across emerging markets, including Africa.

Industries most affected globally included industrial manufacturing, business services, and consumer goods and services, with leading ransomware groups identified as Qilin, Clop, and Akira.

Why It Matters for Nigeria

The findings come as Nigeria accelerates digital transformation across finance, education, telecommunications, and government services—initiatives that support economic growth but also expand the country’s digital attack surface.

During Nigeria’s last general elections, authorities confirmed that over 200 cyberattacks targeting INEC’s digital infrastructure were successfully blocked, highlighting both the scale of the threat and the importance of robust cybersecurity measures.

Experts warn that without stronger investment in cybersecurity frameworks, workforce training, and AI governance, Nigeria risks increased exposure to ransomware, data breaches, and financial fraud.

As digital adoption deepens, safeguarding critical infrastructure will remain essential to sustaining trust, protecting economic growth, and ensuring national security.

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