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By Linet Amuli - Reporter
Kenya, 24 October 2025 - Microsoft has released its 2025 Digital Defense Report, painting a concerning picture of the rapidly evolving cyber threat landscape, with Africa now firmly in the crosshairs of sophisticated attackers.
Drawing from more than 100 trillion daily security signals, the report highlights how cyber criminals and state-backed hackers are advancing their techniques, leveraging artificial intelligence, and exploiting trusted systems to infiltrate high-value sectors across the continent.
Kerissa Varma, Microsoft’s Chief Security Advisor for Africa, noted that the continent has become a testing ground for new cyberattack methods.
“Africa isn’t just a target, it has become a proving ground for the latest cyber threats,” she said.
She explained that attackers are now using AI to generate culturally relevant phishing messages, mimic trusted contacts, and manipulate commonly used digital platforms.
“Many of these advanced tactics are first tested right here on the continent,” Varma added.
According to Microsoft’s analysis, data theft was the primary goal in 80% of cyber incidents reported last year, with financial gain, rather than political espionage, driving most attacks.
Complementing the report’s findings, the World Economic Forum’s Cybercrime Impact Atlas Report 2025 recorded a significant spike in cybercrime cases across Africa.
Losses linked to cyberattacks more than doubled from $192 million to $484 million, while the number of victims surged from 35,000 to 87,000 across 19 African nations.
Business Email Compromise (BEC) emerged as the most financially devastating cybercrime, accounting for 21% of successful attacks despite representing only 2% of detected malicious activity.
These schemes typically start with phishing or password attacks, then escalate to inbox manipulation, interference with multi-factor authentication, and hijacking of legitimate email conversations.
South Africa has become a major centre for BEC-related activity and the recruitment of “money mules.”
One highlighted case involves Storm-2126, a threat group originating from Nigeria, but reportedly operating out of South Africa since 2017, which has targeted real estate, legal, and tile companies in the United States.
The report also warns of a rise in multi-stage and AI-driven cyberattacks. Tactics such as “ClickFix,” which tricks users into manually executing harmful code, and impersonation scams carried out through platforms like Microsoft Teams, are enabling hackers to bypass conventional security measures.
AI-driven phishing campaigns are now achieving a 54% click-through rate, 4.5 times higher than traditional methods, and can increase criminal earnings by up to 50 times.
Microsoft also documented a 195% global increase in AI-generated fake identities used to circumvent verification and exploit free trial services to launch attacks.
Varma cautioned African businesses to rethink their cybersecurity posture, “This is a pivotal moment for African business leaders. Relying on trust alone is no longer enough.”
She emphasized the need for organisations to invest in robust cybersecurity systems and adopt AI-powered defense strategies to strengthen resilience and safeguard the continent’s digital future.
