According to Kaspersky research on mobile cyberthreat dynamics in Q2 2023, threats for mobile devices are growing worldwide. In particular, the number of mobile threats for Android devices [1] detected and blocked by Kaspersky in the Middle East, Turkiye, and Africa (META) region increased by 5 per cent in Q2 2023 when compared to the same period last year. Given the ubiquity of mobile devices in Africa, recording such an increase is a cause for concern.
Among the most prevalent mobile threats that were detected in Africa are adware and mobile banking threats. The Kaspersky report indicates substantial adware detections in Q2 2023, with a spike of 94 per cent in Nigeria, 39 per cent in Kenya and 27 per cent in South Africa. There was also a notable increase in the detections of mobile banking trojans in Q2 2023, which are used to hunt for data related to online banking and e-payment systems.
“As Africa witnesses an upsurge in smartphone adoption, combined with the burgeoning trend of mobile banking, it’s imperative to address the inherent cybersecurity challenges that exist,” says Bethwel Opil, Enterprise Client Lead at Kaspersky in Africa.
