Cybersecurity and Cybercrime Trends in Africa
The aim of this initiative is to produce a report that collects and presents detailed technical data on Cyber security threats and trends in Africa in partnership with African thought‐leaders. This would assess the major trends in the African region in terms of threats to the cyber domain and the potential impact they could have on internet users. Through voluntary country surveys, the report would take stock of the advances in policy and legal frameworks that government authorities have instituted in order to better address the challenges that they face in an increasingly connected world.
The project would aim to establish and bolster relationships amongst stakeholders so that they can share both aggregate and specific cyber threat information. Governments and other interested parties could then utilize this information to identify gaps and to strengthen prevention and response mechanisms to confront the diverse range of cyber threats. The report would provide an opportunity for AU member states to illustrate and emphasize the significant advances and victories in the areas of cyber security and combating cybercrime.
Initiated by Symantec, the United States of America and the African Union, this initiative has officially started, and is open to others to join. Other GFCE members are welcome to contribute to any report that is produced and to mutually benefit from the expertise and information shared.
Report: Cyber Crime and Cyber Security Trends in Africa
The African Union Commission and Symantec, as part of the Global Forum for Cybersecurity Expertise (GFCE) Initiative, released a report analyzing cyber security trends and government responses in Africa. In addition to the AUC and Symantec this report represents a multi-stakeholder effort, with support from the United States Department of State.
The report explores various cybersecurity trends including the overall professionalization of cyber crimes:
- Rise of Ransomware and Cryptolocker
- Social Media, Scams, and Email Threats
- Smartphones and the Internet of Things
- Business Email Scams
- Vulnerabilities
As opposed to other threat reports on cyber vulnerabilities in Africa, this report is unique in that it incorporates the perspectives of African Union Commission Member State governments and online threat data from Symantec’s comprehensive cyber threat monitoring network.