Nigeria faces rising cyberthreats in 2025

According to data from global cybersecurity company Kaspersky, sub-Saharan Africa recorded 42.4 million web attacks and 95.6 million on-device attacks in the first half of 2025

The region also saw spyware cases more than double, a 64% increase in password stealer incidents, and a 12% rise in backdoor infections compared with the same period in 2024. These figures are being released ahead of Kaspersky’s participation at GITEX Nigeria, one of the region’s leading technology exhibitions taking place on September 3–4 in Lagos. At the event, the company will provide practical guidance and host workshops to help individuals and businesses strengthen their defences against fast-evolving threats.

In Nigeria, during the first half of 2025, Kaspersky’s security tools blocked more than 1.46 million online attack attempts targeting users. These threats—which included phishing scams, exploits, botnets, Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) intrusions, and network spoofing such as fake Wi-Fi networks—affected nearly one in five people in the country (19.9%). During the same period, 4.97 million on-device attacks were intercepted, with 28.6% of Nigerian users facing malware delivered through infected USB drives, CDs, DVDs, and hidden installers. These included ransomware, worms, backdoors, trojans, password stealers, and spyware.

Kaspersky’s research highlighted a 66% surge in password stealer attacks in Nigeria in H1 2025 compared to the same timeframe in 2024, along with a 53% increase in spyware incidents. Exploits exploiting vulnerabilities in applications such as Microsoft Office also remained widespread. While the overall number of phishing detections dropped by 52%, phishing attempts became more precise. Financially themed phishing, including scams targeting banks, e-commerce platforms, and payment systems, increased by 46%. Kaspersky registered more than 595,000 finance-related phishing attempts in Nigeria during the period.

Industrial sectors remain vulnerable as well. In H1 2025, Kaspersky solutions blocked threats on 26.5% of Industrial Control Systems (ICS) computers in Nigeria. Virus and worm infections posed significant risks, particularly in construction, ICS engineering and integration, energy, and biometrics industries. More broadly, Africa ranks among the regions with the highest percentage of ICS computers impacted by malicious objects worldwide.

“Every day, more people in Africa and in Nigeria specifically are moving their businesses, banking, and even daily errands online. But with this opportunity comes a challenge. Cybercriminals are also becoming more active, targeting not only big companies and government networks, but also ordinary people, small businesses, and industrial infrastructures we depend on,” commented Chris Norton, general manager for sub-Saharan Africa at Kaspersky.