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Kaspersky records over two million phishing attacks in South Africa , Kenya and Nigeria in H1 2021
There was a reduction in the number of phishing attacks recorded and blocked by Kaspersky in South Africa ( 17 % decline ), Kenya ( 48 % decline ) and Nigeria ( 13 % decline ) for the first half of this year when compared to the same period in 2020 . While the decline does suggest and support research trends – that cybercriminals have become more targeted , focusing their efforts on advanced persistent threat ( APT ) campaigns in Africa – the phishing threat is still very prevalent , says Kaspersky .
“ This decrease is in line with global trends and supports the decline that Kaspersky research identified happening through the course of last year already . Of course , this does not mean that organisations and consumers can ignore the risk of traditional cybercrime attacks or that phishing , as well as spam , are still not of significant concern across Africa . Instead , people need to become even more aware of cybersecurity best practice and remain vigilant to protect their personal and business systems from the risk of compromise ,” said Bethwel Opil , Enterprise Sales Manager , Kaspersky in Africa . systems or compromising personal financial and other information that can be used to perpetrate identity theft ,” said Opil .
Phishing attacks across the continent have baited unsuspecting victims into handing over bank information , ID numbers and more . Cybercriminals have become even savvier with their tactics , embracing more sophisticated technology to lure people into clicking on things they should not . For instance , the COVID-19 vaccine rollout throughout Africa has given rise to ample opportunity for cybercriminals to carry out several attacks that are hidden in what , at first glance , may appear to be relevant information .
In addition to installing relevant cybersecurity solutions , individuals and businesses must consider the following tips to protect themselves against spam email and phishing :
• Use multiple email addresses . One can be for personal correspondence while another can be used for online shopping or social media
• Never respond to any spam . Malicious users verify receipt and log responses of active email addresses
• Always check the link , before you click – make sure the links start with https :// and not http ://
• Do not rush or panic react – scammers use such tactics to pressure you into clicking links or opening attachments
• Keep your browser and operating system software up to date with the latest patches
• Use anti-spam filters in addition to antivirus and Internet security solutions p
For instance , spam constituted almost 30 % of email traffic in South Africa and close on 35 % in Kenya in H1 2021 . The number of phishing attacks recorded in South Africa for the first half of 2021 exceeded one million at 1 , 031,006 . In Kenya phishing attacks were recorded at 601,557 and in Nigeria 393,569 . Reaching over two million attacks combined highlights that phishing is still a significant threat in Africa and illustrates the importance of ensuring cybersecurity solutions are installed on all connected devices .
“ Phishing and spam remain some of the most effective ways of targeting unsuspecting users and gaining access into corporate
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