Card fraud continues to cost issuers and merchants billions each year

Mastercard has launched Account Intelligence Reissuance, an advanced fraud prevention tool designed to streamline the card reissuance process in the Eastern Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EEMEA) region

This new service uses Mastercard’s proprietary Artificial Intelligence (AI) and extensive network insights to evaluate the risk associated with compromised cards and provide AI-based guidance on whether they should be monitored or replaced.

Card fraud continues to cost issuers and merchants billions each year. To prevent further unauthorised use, issuers typically assess primary account numbers (PANs) for risk and reissue vulnerable cards. This manual approach is often time-consuming and expensive. Mastercard’s Account Intelligence Reissuance simplifies and automates this process, offering a more efficient solution for tackling both physical and digital card skimming.

“At Mastercard, we have developed a comprehensive portfolio of fraud products that offer valuable and advanced insights and data. We are delighted to expand our proposition with Account Intelligence Reissuance that goes one step further by allowing issuers to aggregate data, measure risk and prioritize the most compromised cards for reissuance. Powered by our world-class AI technology, this highly accurate solution will significantly enhance credit card fraud prevention and customer protection efforts across the industry,” said Selin Bahadirli, executive vice-president, Services, EEMEA, Mastercard.

With the rise of digital transactions and the emergence of new types of fraud, Mastercard has continued to advance its technologies to protect stakeholders at every point in the payment process. Its Decision Intelligence platform currently secures over 159 billion transactions annually, and with generative AI improvements, Mastercard enables issuers to more quickly and accurately analyse account, transaction, merchant, and device data to detect and stop fraud in real time.

In Nigeria, the main targets included telecommunications resellers and computing infrastructure providers. (Image source: NETSCOUT)

West Africa’s DDoS threat landscape was dominated by Nigeria and Mali, according to NETSCOUT’s Threat Intelligence Report for July to December 2024, which analyses global attack trends and techniques

Nigeria faced 1,716 attacks in the latter half of 2024, a notable decline from 2,721 incidents in the first six months. Meanwhile, Mali saw a dramatic surge, with attacks soaring from 115 in the first half to 1,637 in the second half of the year.

“Web search portals and all other information services bore the brunt of attacks in Mali, with an astounding average duration of 1,197 minutes per incident,” said Bryan Hamman, NETSCOUT’s regional director for Africa. “This was followed by wired telecommunications carriers, which was also the most targeted industry at a global level during the same period, with more than 2.1 million incidents.”

In Nigeria, the main targets included telecommunications resellers and computing infrastructure providers. Interestingly, beauty salons appeared among the top ten sectors attacked, alongside wired telecommunications carriers, commercial banks, used merchandise retailers, tyre dealers, and household electronics wholesalers. “This shows once again how threat actors adapt their strategies accordingly within different countries to target those industries that are strong in individual sovereign territories,” Hamman explained.

Nigeria also experienced some of the most complex DDoS campaigns in the region, with up to 22 different vendors involved in a single attack, primarily using TCP, DNS amplification, and ICMP flood (Ping flood) methods.

Liberia ranked next with 1,189 attacks, slightly fewer than the 1,515 reported earlier in 2024. The country’s computer systems design services sector was heavily targeted, suffering 360 attacks over six months. DNS amplification was the dominant attack vector, closely followed by STUN amplification.

Ghana recorded a sharp decline in attacks in the second half of 2024, falling to 917 from 4,753 earlier in the year. The ICT sector remained most targeted, including web search portals and information services (317 attacks), wired telecommunications carriers (43), and computing infrastructure providers. Notably, footwear manufacturers were third, enduring 14 attacks during the period.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo entered NETSCOUT’s rankings for the first time, coming in fifth with 879 attacks. Hamman noted, “While the most significant attack peaked at a modest 0.74 Gbps, the complexity was notable – with up to 15 vectors used in a single attack.” Computing infrastructure providers bore the brunt, though one satellite telecommunications attack lasted an exhausting 689 minutes.

Though Cameroon was not the most targeted country with 811 incidents, nor did it experience the most complex attacks, it recorded the highest bandwidth attack in the region at 200.43 Gbps – surpassing Nigeria’s 148.77 Gbps.

Meanwhile, Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea, and the Republic of the Congo faced fewer attacks, with 495, 341, and 329 incidents respectively. Côte d'Ivoire suffered the largest attack among them at 8.66 Gbps, targeting wired telecommunications carriers. Guinea’s wireless telecommunications carriers were most pressured, while telecommunications resellers were the hardest hit in the Republic of the Congo.

“This latest data from NETSCOUT reinforces a critical truth for West Africa: DDoS attacks aren’t just increasing in frequency, but also in intensity and sophistication,” Hamman emphasized. “While nations like Nigeria and Mali face a high volume of incidents, others are experiencing powerful, high-bandwidth attacks that can cripple essential services.

“As noted previously, the ICT sector remains firmly in the crosshairs across the continent in its entirety, making it vital for organisations across the region to prioritise proactive defence strategies, invest in continuous risk assessments and engage in broader cybersecurity collaboration to stay ahead of evolving threats,” he concluded.

Sectigo partners with Altron Security to enhance digital certificate management and ensure secure migrations

Sectigo, a global leader in digital certificates and automated Certificate Lifecycle Management (CLM), has entered into a strategic channel partnership with Altron Security, a South African provider of comprehensive identity and digital security solutions

This collaboration enables Altron Security to integrate Sectigo's cloud-native CLM offerings into its existing digital certificate management services, helping mitigate the risks associated with mismanaged certificates. As a result, businesses can enhance their security and future-proof their operations against the challenges posed by quantum technologies.

In addition to expanding their offering, this partnership follows Sectigo’s acquisition of the Entrust public certificate business, which ensures a seamless transition for Entrust customers. With a structured migration plan in place, Sectigo is committed to providing trusted CLM solutions that minimise disruption and guide affected customers through the transition process smoothly.

"We look forward to collaborating with Altron Security as we expand our footprint in South Africa,” said Jairo Fraile, vice-president of global partner sales at Sectigo. “This partnership reinforces our dedication to providing trusted and compliant SSL/TLS certificates and PKI solutions. By working closely with Altron Security, we are ensuring that customers experience a smooth migration process to Sectigo while benefiting from our range of offerings."

As digital certificates become increasingly integral to online security, businesses face the growing challenge of adapting to the shortening lifespan of certificates. The shift from 398-day to 47-day certificate renewal periods demands greater automation in managing Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) environments. Through this partnership, Altron Security is now able to offer Sectigo’s flagship product, the Sectigo Certificate Manager. This solution provides the necessary automation and security to prevent lapses, ensuring businesses remain compliant and secure in an ever-evolving digital landscape.

"We are excited to partner with Sectigo, a globally recognized Certificate Authority renowned for its industry leadership,” said Andrew Whittaker, managing director at Altron Security. “Sectigo's significant presence in the CA/Browser Forum underscores its commitment to upholding the highest security standards, ensuring the delivery of trusted and compliant SSL/TLS certificates. With the shortening of certificate lifespans and increasing security challenges presented by the quantum era, this partnership allows us to provide advanced CLM solutions to the market, empowering businesses to navigate evolving cybersecurity demands confidently.”

This partnership strengthens Altron Security’s position in the digital trust market and supports its broader cybersecurity strategy:

1. Strengthening Market Leadership in Digital Trust:
Altron Security has been a leader in delivering digital trust solutions in South Africa for over 15 years. This new partnership with Sectigo further cements its position at the forefront of the market. It builds upon Altron Security’s existing SSL/TLS certificates and PKI offerings, ensuring they meet the highest industry standards for security and compliance.

2. Expanding Cybersecurity Portfolio:
The integration of Sectigo Certificate Manager enhances Altron Security’s certificate management services, bringing deeper automation and scalability. This allows businesses to reduce operational strain, mitigate risks, and maintain compliance with increasingly complex cybersecurity requirements.

3. Enhancing Customer Experience & Trust:
The partnership presents a significant opportunity for Altron Security to strengthen its relationships with customers, especially during the transition from Entrust to Sectigo. By ensuring a smooth migration process and offering long-term stability through Sectigo’s trusted certificate authority services, Altron Security continues to provide reliable, scalable, and secure digital solutions that cater to a wide range of industries.

With this strategic partnership, Sectigo and Altron Security are well-positioned to meet the growing demand for digital certificate management solutions, offering businesses the tools needed to stay secure and compliant in a rapidly changing digital landscape.

NETSCOUT’s latest report highlights evolving, complex DDoS attacks targeting key sectors across southern Africa. (Image source: NETSCOUT)

The latest NETSCOUT Threat Intelligence Report for July to December 2024 reveals a rapidly evolving and diverse DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attack landscape across southern Africa

The findings indicate that while some countries faced a surge in attacks, others, though experiencing fewer incidents, encountered more sophisticated and targeted threats. South Africa, Mauritius, and Angola were among the most targeted nations, while countries like Zambia, Eswatini, and Zimbabwe saw lower volumes but faced increasingly complex attacks.

South Africa leads in attack numbers

South Africa remained the most targeted nation in the region, recording a staggering 130,931 DDoS incidents, although this number was significantly lower than the 230,000+ attacks observed in the first half of 2024. The largest recorded attack peaked at 210.65 Gbps and 20.38 Mpps, utilising 23 distinct attack vectors in one event—the highest of any country in southern Africa. These attacks predominantly targeted sectors such as computer-related services, insurance agencies, brokerages, and computing infrastructure providers, reflecting the country’s prominent role in Africa’s digital economy.

Mauritius experiences significant increase

Mauritius faced a 37% increase in DDoS attacks, registering over 41,800 incidents in the second half of the year compared to 30,446 in the first. The wireless telecommunications sector was the primary target, accounting for nearly 40,000 incidents. Peak attack throughput reached 35 Mpps, with bandwidth surging to 224 Gbps, underscoring the vulnerability of Mauritius’s growing digital infrastructure.

Namibia and Angola: smaller but still vulnerable

Namibia, despite its smaller population, reported 45,283 attacks, positioning it among the top five countries in the region. However, this was a decline from the 76,337 incidents recorded in the first half of 2024. The most common attack vector was DNS amplification, followed by TCP ACK and SYN/ACK amplification. The largest attack recorded in Namibia peaked at 30.11 Gbps and 2.88 Mpps.

Angola also saw an uptick in DDoS incidents, increasing from 14,281 in the first half of the year to 19,046. The nation experienced up to 18 attack vectors in a single event, with DNS amplification being the most prevalent. Wired telecommunications and computing infrastructure providers were the primary victims, with the largest attack peaking at 85.94 Gbps.

Targeted attacks in Eswatini and Zimbabwe

Eswatini recorded a 200% increase in DDoS incidents, rising from 209 attacks in the first half of 2024 to 619 in the latter half. These attacks were mostly focused on the real estate sector, indicating a targeted approach. The average attack duration was 7.3 minutes, with bandwidth below 1 Gbps.

Zimbabwe, on the other hand, recorded 476 DDoS attacks, with telecommunications being the most targeted sector. The largest attack reached 1.07 Gbps and 2.51 Mpps. Unlike other nations, Zimbabwe saw an attack on a retail business, lasting a significant 37 minutes.

Other Countries: Mozambique, Zambia, and Botswana

Mozambique saw a sharp decline in DDoS incidents, with only 425 attacks, a significant drop from 3,145 in the first half of the year. The attacks targeted the computer-related services and satellite telecommunications sectors. In Zambia, DDoS events were fewer, with only 153 incidents, though these attacks involved diverse vectors, highlighting a more sophisticated approach. Botswana, while reporting only 981 attacks, saw most of them directed at wireless telecommunications.

Rising complexity and shared attack vectors

NETSCOUT’s Bryan Hamman, regional director for Africa, emphasises the increasing complexity of DDoS attacks. “The second half of 2024 has shown a marked shift towards multivector attacks, with countries like South Africa, Mauritius, and Angola facing increasingly sophisticated threats.” He adds that these attacks often involve TCP ACK, DNS amplification, and TCP SYN/ACK amplification, which are the most common vectors in the region.

As the digital infrastructure across southern Africa grows, so does the attack surface. Hamman warns that organizations must invest in robust cybersecurity strategies and proactive threat intelligence to stay ahead of evolving threats. “The rise in technical diversity and targeted industry-specific campaigns in countries like Zambia and Mozambique signals a worrying trend,” he says. “Companies must be prepared for more calculated attacks targeting specific sectors.”