African countries among most targeted by cyber crime

from DION HENRICK in Cape Town
Western Cape Bureau
CAPE TOWN, (CAJ News) – EIGHT African countries are among the top 20 countries most targeted by cyber criminals.

According to Check Point Software Technologies, there are Ethiopia (second globally), Zimbabwe (third), Maldives (forth), Kenya (seventh), Uganda (eighth), Angola (11th), Morocco (17th) and Nigeria (20th).

South Africa has dropped eight places and ranks 64th as the most targeted.

Check Point has released the Global Threat Index for March 2024, which unveiled cybercriminals’ use of Virtual Hard Disk (VHD) files to distribute the Remote Access Trojan (RAT) Remcos, circumventing conventional security protocols.

Remcos, a well-known malware dating back to 2016, has resurfaced with a new attack stragegy infiltrating victims’ devices and granting cybercriminals unfettered access.

Initially intended for legitimate remote system management, experts say Remcos has been repurposed by threat actors to execute malicious activities, including data exfiltration, keystroke logging, and transmission of sensitive information to designated servers.

“The evolving tactics of cyberattacks underscore the dynamic nature of cybercriminal strategies,” said Maya Horowitz, VP of Research at Check Point.

“It is imperative for organizations to adopt proactive cybersecurity measures, including robust endpoint protection and comprehensive employee training, to safeguard against evolving threats.”

FakeUpdates, Formbook and Qbot are according to Check Point the top three malware families in Africa.

AhMyth, Anubis and Cerberus are ranked the top mobile malware in the continent.

In Africa, Retail/Wholesale, Communications and Utilities are at the top of the list of targets.

– CAJ News