Crypto-mining malware, phishing attacks on the rise across Africa

Digital security firm Kaspersky Lab in Q1 2019 reported more than 1.6-million malware attacks per day across the META region, it announced at its Cyber Security Weekend in Cape Town.

The META region, covering the Middle East, Turkey, and Africa, saw an increase in malware attacks of 108% over Q1 2018.

The company notes that the increase in malware attacks isn’t just a desktop computing phenomenon.

“Mobile malware attacks in META in Q1 2019 numbered more than 368 000, an average of 4098 per day, and a spike of 118% when compared to Q1 2018,” it added in a release sent to Memeburn.

Surprisingly, ransomware attacks — which became the scourge of 2017 — decreased by 18% year-over-year, with a daily average of 2100 attacks.

Cryptocurrency mining malware and phishing attacks grew by 146% and 334% respectively across the region compared to Q1 2018. Kaspersky noted more than 64 000 phishing attacks targeted its users daily.

Feature image: iAmMrRob via Pixabay