Ransomware attacks, business email compromise (BEC), organised online scams and artificial intelligence-driven cybercrime have emerged as some of the most serious digital security threats confronting Africa, according to the latest cyber threat assessment released by INTERPOL.

The INTERPOL African Cyberthreat Assessment Report 2026 warns that cybercriminals are becoming increasingly sophisticated, combining emerging technologies with organised criminal networks to target governments, businesses, financial institutions and critical infrastructure across the continent.

The report identifies seven major cyber threats shaping Africa's rapidly evolving digital risk landscape.

Among the most concerning threats is ransomware, which the report describes as one of the most disruptive forms of cybercrime. South Africa accounted for 92 per cent of all ransomware detections recorded in Africa in 2025.

INTERPOL cited attacks on institutions including the South African Weather Service, the Nigeria Customs Service, the Uganda Electricity Transmission Company and Namibia's telecommunications sector as evidence that criminals are increasingly focusing on essential public services.

Business Email Compromise (BEC) also continues to inflict substantial financial losses across the continent. According to the report, 70 per cent of detected BEC incidents originated from South Africa, while Nigeria accounted for a further 29 per cent.

Criminals are increasingly using artificial intelligence to create highly convincing emails impersonating company executives to divert payments and steal sensitive financial information. One example highlighted in the report involved a Senegal-based operation that attempted to fraudulently divert $7.9 million from a petroleum company during Operation Sentinel.

INTERPOL further warned that online fraud has expanded into industrial-scale operations run from organised scam centres. About 72 per cent of African countries surveyed reported the existence of such centres, many of which are linked to transnational organised crime, human trafficking and forced labour.

Mobile money fraud remains the continent's most common online scam, with 97 per cent of responding countries identifying it as a major threat.

The report also highlighted the growing use of artificial intelligence to facilitate digital sextortion. Criminals are increasingly using deepfake technology to generate fake intimate images from photographs obtained on social media before demanding payment from victims. Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire and Mali were identified among countries experiencing a rise in such cases, particularly involving young people.

According to the assessment, data breaches are also fuelling a broad range of cyber offences. African-origin data appearing on dark web marketplaces increased by 62 per cent, with stolen personal information frequently reused in identity theft, phishing schemes, financial fraud and ransomware attacks.

INTERPOL cautioned that artificial intelligence is accelerating cybercrime by enabling criminals to automate phishing campaigns, generate realistic deepfake content, create synthetic identities and develop increasingly sophisticated malware.

It also noted that Cybercrime-as-a-Service platforms are making advanced cyberattack tools readily available, allowing even less experienced offenders to carry out complex attacks.

The agency concluded that Africa's cyber threat landscape is becoming increasingly interconnected, with ransomware, financial fraud, data breaches, AI-enabled scams and organised criminal networks reinforcing one another.

It called for stronger regional collaboration, harmonised cybercrime legislation, enhanced digital forensic capabilities and greater investment in cybersecurity to strengthen the continent's resilience against emerging threats.