Across the continent SEACOM registered 382,500 DDoS attacks between January and July 2021, with 59% concentrated in Kenya and South Africa. South Africa experienced fewer attacks in 2021 than in 2020, however there was "still a sizeable 188% increase" in attacks in 2021 compared to 2019. Meanwhile, Kenya saw a 2,400% increase in attacks in 2021 compared to the same period 2019.
Further, across the continent, 78% of all DDoS attacks that took place this year were targeted at the information services sector. Other affected industries included professional, scientific and technical services; finance and insurance; manufacturing; and retail trade.
“While many businesses are in the process of undergoing rapid digital transformation, cyberattacks are also reaching record-breaking figures in 2021," said Steve Briggs, chief sales and marketing officer at SEACOM, which launched Africa’s first broadband submarine cable system along the continent’s Eastern and Southern coasts in 2009.
“Fortunately, even as cyberattacks become more sophisticated year-on-year, so do the means to protect against them. Now, it is more important than ever for businesses to take a proactive, rather than reactive, approach to cybersecurity,” Briggs added.
