According to the latest analysis by Kaspersky, Kenya experienced an overall decline of 8% in cyber threats last year. However, certain types of cyberattacks saw significant increases, with ransomware attacks rising by 68%, backdoors by 47%, exploits by 22%, and phishing by 19%.
Amin Hasbini, Director of META Research Center Global Research and Analysis Team (GReAT) at Kaspersky, commented on the evolving cyber threat landscape, noting that threats are becoming more diverse and sophisticated. He emphasized the role of advanced technologies like AI and the geopolitical and economic factors contributing to the surge in cybercrime, particularly in regions like the Middle East, Turkey, and Africa (META).
Kenya ranked second after Turkey, with 39.2% of users affected by online threats stemming from vulnerabilities in web pages, emails, or web services. This high prevalence is attributed to Kenya’s status as having the highest internet penetration in Africa.
In response to these threats, Kaspersky has developed solutions under their Cyber Immunity Approach, aiming to create solutions that are highly resistant to compromise and minimize potential vulnerabilities.
To mitigate the risk of cyberattacks, victims are advised to regularly back up their data, implement multi-layered security defenses that can scan suspicious email attachments, and keep their software up-to-date to minimize potential entry points for ransomware.
